In Retrospect
by Paige242
Summary: "You don't get to come back here and win me over with your sob story after what you did. I will never want to be a merman, and I will never want to be your son." A few months after the big revelation, Zac finally meets his mother. (Post 2x13, Spoilers)
1. Chapter 1

_In retrospect, he probably should have expected it to happen. _

_Ever since he had fallen into the moon pool, his life had been full of twists and turns— he had met mermaids and mermen, he had discovered the truth about his school principal, he had gotten himself into all sorts of tricky situations and risked exposure countless times. And, most significantly, he had received shocking news about his true origins. _

_But, despite all the chaos and turmoil, he had not had the foresight to brace himself for this. _

_He had never expected to some face to face with her… _

It happened on a surprisingly calm night. The sun had dipped beneath the horizon but Zac, who still felt awkward around his "parents" three months after learning about his adoption, had not felt like returning home. He and Evie had been hanging out on their favourite secluded patch of the beach that afternoon and he had decided to stay there, alone, after she had gone home for dinner.

He could feel his stomach rumble with hunger, but the peacefulness of the beach was too hard to leave behind. It had been hard to find a quiet moment alone recently and Zac revelled in his current solitude. Most days, he was with Evie and his friends—and when he wasn't, his parents insisted that he spend time with them. Things had definitely become tenser in the Blakely household since they had admitted the truth. His parents seemed to be walking on eggshells whenever he was around—praising him, telling him how much they loved him, eagerly trying to please—Zac knew they meant well, and felt guilty about the secrets they had kept, but the change in their behaviour just made the situation more difficult.

He knew that things would never be the same, and each moment he spent with them made that abundantly clear. He could only imagine how bad things would get if they ever found out the full truth—if they knew that he was, in fact, a merman abandoned at the local orphanage by a powerful northern mermaid. When he was at home, he was now more cautious than ever.

Mimmi had also become a new factor in his life which he had struggled to contend with. Before he had discovered their connection he had not, quite honestly, given her much thought. Sure, he had thought that she was nice enough—inquisitive, sweet, helpful. But he had not felt much of a bond. At first, he had still missed Lyla, and he was not thrilled to have yet more mermaids there to deal with the "land boy" situation.

But in the wake of the shocking revelation that night in the merman chamber Zac had, gradually, begun to spend more time with the dark-haired mermaid. Much to Mimmi's frustration, it had taken him a few weeks to get over his denial but, once he decided to face the obvious facts and accept her as his sister, things had started to improve. Though they bickered at times, and still did not feel as close as regular siblings who had grown up together, Zac was willing to concede that he enjoyed getting to know her.

As the world around him seemed to spin out of control, Mimmi was the one who was best able to keep him rooted. His parents were not his parents, and his species was not his species…and Mimmi was suddenly the only thing from his past that he could look to for stability.

She was his sister.

His _twin_ sister.

There was an instinctual bond there, even if the emotional one was not yet fully formed.

Zac felt a vibration in his pocket and he reached in to pull out his phone. Not surprisingly (she could probably sense his thoughts from afar, he thought with a smirk), he looked down to see that he had a text from Mimmi.

"_Hey Zac- thought you might want to meet up for a swim later. Let me know. We can meet up by Rita's place later."_

The boy paused for a moment, not quite sure how he wanted to respond. For now, he was happy for the silence. But, perhaps, a late night swim in a couple of hours wouldn't be so bad.

Before he could return the text, however, the sound of footsteps snapped him away from his task.

Seconds later, he heard a soft female voice state his name.

"Zac."

Feeling slightly annoyed that he had company, Zac scrambled to his feet. His first guess was that it was Evie, returning to check on him. Or maybe it was his mum, concerned that he had not returned home for dinner.

It was quite dark now, and it took his eyes a few seconds to adjust. But once they did, his brow furrowed in confusion.

Even though the approaching figure, apparently, knew his name he was quite certain that he had never met the woman before in his life.

For several moments, he simply starred ahead—surveying her appearance and trying to figure out how he might know her.

She was middle aged, but still quite stunningly beautiful. Her long dark hair fell over her left shoulder, and her gauzy white dress danced gently in the summer breeze.

She looked ethereal. Almost otherworldly.

And Zac soon felt his heartrate increase.

It couldn't be…

"Who…who are you?" He stammered, straightening his shoulders as she finished her approach.

The mysterious woman was less than a metre away now and, even in the darkness, he could make out her stunning deep blue eyes. They seemed to bore into him, conveying the intensity of her emotion before she even spoke.

He felt like he had seen those eyes before.

"Zac," she said again, even more softly then before. "I apologise if I startled you—but it had been difficult to find you alone these past few days." She paused, a gentle smile crossing her face. "I have waited so long for this, and I wanted our first meeting to be private. I hope you understand."

Zac could hear the blood pumping in his ears, and he suddenly felt as if the air had been knocked out of his chest.

She was so calm, and she spoke with such familiarity. A part of him already knew what was going on, but his mind struggled to fully comprehend.

"Who are you?" He stated again, firmly this time.

He was in no mood for guessing games. And he refused to believe anything until he knew for sure.

The woman gave him a sad smile, and reached a hand towards his cheek. Her fingers brushed against his skin softly, but the boy jerked back quickly, his body buzzing with shock.

"I think you know, darling." She replied, her hand returning reluctantly to her side. "Please, don't be afraid. Don't run. We need to talk. I've waited so long to talk."

Zac drew several deeps breaths, not caring if he looked like a panicked mess. Quite frankly, he was a panicked mess.

He knew. Of course he knew. She looked like him. And she looked like Mimmi.

But a part of him still needed to hear her say it. After all these years, he felt that he deserved that much.

"Who. Are. You." He repeated through gritted teeth, emphasizing each word as he spoke.

She sighed and brought her hand up to the silver necklace that lay around her neck. A necklace that was identical to the one Mimmi always wore.

"I'm your mother, Zac." She said, her blue eyes now locked with his brown. "And I'm so sorry that things had to be this way. But if we can talk, I think you'll begin to understand."

Instinctually, Zac took a step back. His mind was racing, and his body felt as if it was on fire. He wasn't ready for this. He wasn't sure if he would ever really be ready for this.

It was surreal. Terrible. Wonderful. Horrifying. Shocking.

Almost every possible emotion seemed to swell inside of him as he stood on the quiet beach, looking at the figure before him.

"No." He blurted out, much to his own surprise. He had not managed to gather his thoughts but, apparently, some subconscious part of him knew what he wanted to say. "No." He stated again, taking another step. "You don't get to do this to me."

Nerissa looked slightly taken aback, but she did not yet respond. Perhaps she knew that he would need to get things off of his chest before there was a hope of progress.

"I already have a mother." He proclaimed, taking a perverse joy in the flash of hurt on her face. "Her name is Charlotte Blakely, and she would never abandon me. She has been there for me my entire life. _You_ don't get to come back here after seventeen and a half years and call yourself…that! You gave up any right to call yourself that the second you left me on the steps of an orphanage on the other side of the world!"

The volume of his voice rose steadily as he spoke and he clenched his fists in anger. He meant every word of what he had just said—he had thought about Nerissa several times during the past few months, but he had never felt any desire for a happy reunion. Mimmi was quite sure that she was gone for good, and Zac had come to the conclusion that he did not want to meet the woman who had abandoned a helpless child. A woman who had taken him away from his people, his sister, his hemisphere—and allowed him to think that he was human for seventeen years.

As far as he was concerned, she was the reason that everything was so massively screwed up right now.

She was the reason he felt so uprooted. So conflicted about who, and what, he was.

Bubbling with anger, Zac began to turn away. It would be easier to leave now, he told himself. She did not deserve his respect, or his time.

But, before he could take another step, he felt her grab his hand. Surprised, he whipped around, only to falter slightly at the look of panic and grief on her face.

"Please, Zac." She said, a hint of desperation in her voice. "I know that this is difficult, and I don't expect you to forgive me…but you must at least have some questions."

He wanted to shout again. He wanted to tell her that he didn't need her for anything, and that she should swim back to wherever the hell she had been hiding for all of these years. But her words had struck a chord.

She was right. He might not have wanted to get to know her, and he certainly did not want to forgive her…but there was no doubt that he had questions.

Mimmi and Rita could only tell him so much. With luck, this would be the only time he would have to face this woman, and he might regret losing his chance to get a bit of closure.

"Fine." He spat, jerking his hand away from hers. "I do have a question." He paused, trying to control the rage in his voice. He didn't want her to know quite how much she was affecting him. That might give her false hope that he somehow cared.

Zac drew a deep breath.

"Why?" He said, a steely look on his face. "That's my question. Why? Why did you do this to me? To us?"

Zac found himself putting his hand on his pocket as he waited for her to respond. He could feel his phone in there, and he briefly thought of calling Mimmi. He didn't want to cause her distress, but she was perhaps the one person who could understand his anger right now.

She had been abandoned by this monster too.

"Zac, it's all very complicated." She began cautiously. "Perhaps if we go somewhere more comfortable, I can explain everything. We shouldn't do it here, in case someone—"

"Here. Now." Zac proclaimed, folding his arms across his chest.

He was surprised that he hadn't fled yet, and there was no way in hell he was willing to go somewhere else with Nerissa. She could tell him here, or not at all.

The mermaid drew a deep breath and nodded. There was a moment of silence before she began.

"I suppose you've heard some of the stories about me." She started, looking back towards her estranged son. Zac said nothing. "For the most part, they are true. I am powerful—much more powerful than most—and our family line ruled the northern pods for centuries."

Zac flinched at the use of the word "our"—he still did not like hearing himself associated with her, but he chose to let it slide.

"But I was never happy with the way things were up there. Mermaids can be extremely stubborn, and no one else on the council was willing to even listen to my ideas about mermaid-merman reconciliation. It is difficult to overcome prejudices, especially ancient ones."

Zac gave a slight nod. He knew, better than most, how deep and stubborn the divide between the merpeople was—after all, his mere existence had driven an entire pod from the region, and all the mermaids who associated with him had been disowned.

Despite his anger, he found himself agreeing with her sentiments.

War or no war, the ongoing hatred struck him as ridiculous.

"There were many rumours in the pod about my association with mermen." She continued, her sad smile flickering across her face once more. "And frankly, they weren't rumours—I did know many mermen, and I met with them in secret. It was my hope that, when it came time for me to lead the pod, I would be able to bring the two halves of our species together." Nerissa paused and glanced out towards the ocean. "I went on many voyages during that period—travelling the oceans and looking for allies. It was then that I met your father, a handsome southern merman who believed that it was time to forget the past."

Zac, who had allowed himself to listen intently, felt his heart rate increase again at the mention of his father. Mimmi knew nothing about him—aside from the fact that he existed and that they, unlike most modern merpeople, had been conceived in the "traditional" way. Zac had tried to push the thought from his mind during the past few months, figuring that it was best not to dwell on the thought of someone he would never know.

But now, suddenly, he felt a slight flicker of hope. He hated himself for getting drawn in by her tales, but he knew it was too late to turn back now.

He could not deny that he wanted to know more.

Nerissa continued. "When I returned to the pod, I was already pregnant with you and your sister. I assured the others that I had used our moon pool to conceive—as most mermaids have done since the war—but I knew that some of my pod mates were suspicious. There were many who openly disliked, and feared me. And they were eager to find a way to get me out of the way. Contact with mermen was forbidden, and if they could found out the truth, I knew I would be exiled. Or worse."

"So, I guess they found out then." Zac cut in, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible. The pieces were starting to fall together, and he suspected that he knew where the story was going.

It was all quite unfortunate, clearly…but he silently resolved not to offer his pity.

She had made her own choices. And she had chosen to hide him away. Deny his existence.

That seemed like an impossible thing to forgive.

"If I had given birth to a single female child, then the pod would have had no reason to suspect anything. My mother was the only one I allowed at the birth and, when we realized that there were two…and that you were a merman, we knew that we had to act fast."

Zac felt a fresh jolt of rage rippled through him as she spoke.

"Are you trying to say that this whole mess was MY fault!?" He cut in, his eyes wide with shock. "I didn't ask to be born! And I certainly didn't ask to be born a freak of nature! How can you dare to—"

"NO!" Nerissa proclaimed loudly, taking a few quick steps towards him. "Darling, please. That's not what I am trying to say at all."

Zac wanted to protest, but something about her expression made him believe her. Much to his own surprise, he did not even jerk away when she touched his arm this time.

"To me, you were a _miracle_." She said softly. Pleadingly. "As far as I know, no merman had been born to a mermaid since the war. And twins are completely unheard of in our world as well. It was a shock, but it was a wonderful shock. And that night, when I held you both in my arms for the first time, I was the happiest I had ever been."

The boy tried to ignore the slight prickling sensation in his eyes and he quickly looked away.

She didn't deserve his pity, he reminded himself.

He could not show weakness.

"If you were so happy, then why did you get rid of me?" He asked, his voice sounding much weaker and child-like than he intended.

As he looked back towards her, he could see the redness in her eyes.

"I didn't want to." She whispered, her hand gripping his arm tighter than it had before. "If you believe nothing else I say, at least believe that. But I had broken an ancient law, and your existence proved it. If my enemies in the pod found out I would have been banished and you…" She drew a deep breath. "You would have been destroyed, Zac."

For a moment, he opened his mouth to protest. It seemed crazy.

Unbelievable.

Most of the mermaids he had met were sweet and kind, and it was hard to imagine a pod killing a helpless child.

But, he reminded himself, mermaids did take their laws seriously. Most of his friends had suffered under mermaid rules and, if Verridia was any indication, some mermaids could be absolutely spiteful.

Verridia had wanted him dead. She had come to the chamber intent to kill him just a few short months ago.

It was not shocking to think that there were others like her.

"I did not have a choice, Zac." Nerissa said somberly. "I told my mother to take you to the south. I hoped that she could find your father and give you to him. But when she couldn't, she used an ancient family spell to hide your tail and took you on land to be fostered by humans. It wasn't ideal, but at least it kept you safe. At least you had a home where you could grow up without fear and danger." She paused, her eyes brimming with unshed emotion. "Please…please tell me that your land parents were good to you."

Zac sighed and tried to push back the spark of sympathy inside him.

"Yeah, they're great." He said, willing to offer her at least some reassurance. The woman smiled and he could see her shoulders relax slightly with relief.

"But," Zac continued, his expression hardening. "I didn't know I was adopted until a few months ago. They lied. You made me live a lie. And I don't think I can accurately describe how awful it is to discover that everything you thought you knew was wrong. For seventeen years, I thought I belonged. I thought I was _human_."

"Zac, I'm sorry. It was the only way. I wish…"

"Sure." He snorted, his anger once again resurging. "If you really feel bad, then prove it. Make me normal again. Let me have my old life back."

Nerissa's brow furrowed in confusion and Zac knew that he would have to be more specific.

"You said an ancient family spell hid my legs for seventeen years. If that's true, and if you're so powerful, then cast it again. I don't want to have to deal with this anymore. Any of it." He proclaimed, throwing up his arms in exasperation. "Sure, the powers were cool at first—but that was when I thought I was a land boy who accidently fell into the moon pool. Once I found out that I'm a…a…not normal." He continued, unable to bring himself to say the actual "m" word, "It isn't fun anymore. I didn't ask for this, and all I want is to go back to normal. I want a normal human life, on land, without having to worry about turning into a fish every time I get splashed!"

He looked towards her as he finished his rant and he could tell instantly that his words had hurt.

Nerissa had brought her hand to her chest, and he mouth was wide with surprise.

"Zac…I…" She drew a deep breath, steadying herself. "I am sorry you feel that way, but I can't do that. The spell can only be cast on an individual once and, even then, it only lasts eighteen years. Even if you hadn't fallen into the moon pool, you would have reverted to your true from next year. You've always been a merman, and you always will be. There is nothing I can do to change that."

Zac felt a wave of nausea pass through him but he tried to keep up a steady mask.

It disturbed him more than he thought it would to learn that his change was inevitable.

That this was who he was always going to be.

There truly was no escape.

"I guess you're not as powerful as they say." He muttered bitterly, folding his arms across his chest again.

"That sort of magic should not be taken lightly. Casting that spell weakened my mother considerably." Nerissa cut in unexpectedly, meeting his gaze. "She died a few short years later. And, as my coronation approached, my rivals doubled their efforts to stop me from ruling the north. They were willing to do anything to stop my efforts to bring about unity in our world. I could have had my revenge—I could have wiped their memories or made them disappear. But I have always refused to abuse my magic." She paused, as if recalling an unhappy memory. "When I got word that some members of the pod were plotting to use an ancient truth spell on me—to find out the truth about you, and about your father— I decided that my best option was to flee. I didn't want to harm anyone, but their conspiracy was too big to escape. I took Mimmi to Mako to be fostered, and then I went into hiding."

"So you just _hid_ for seventeen years?" Zac asked, raising a dark brow. "You could have at least visited. You could have even made a life for yourself on land, like Rita. Unless you didn't actually want to see us…"

"Of course I wanted to see you!" Nerissa exclaimed. "I thought about both of you every single day, and I spent most of my time trying to sense you—to check if you were alright. But it wasn't safe to come and find you. The pod has spies, and I knew that if I sought you out, there was a chance I would be followed."

Zac scoffed. "Sure. If that's true, then why did you come now?"

"Because," She explained, "I knew that it was finally time. I could tell, even from a great distance, that you had both come into your full powers and had ignited the bond that you share. I couldn't risk contacting you until you were strong enough to defend yourself. The fact is, the northern pod might be tracking us right now—and if they figure out all of the details, they will try to destroy us all. But if we move quickly, and manage to set everything in motion, they won't be able to stop us."

Confused, Zac shot her a bewildered look. She was being vague, and he had no idea what she was talking about.

What did they have to set in motion?

What did she expect them to do?

As if sensing his next question, Nerissa continued. He could instantly sense the desperation in her voice.

"You and Mimmi are extremely special." She explained, her eyes locked on his. "A merman and a mermaid born together, with the blood of the north and the south. You both symbolize the unity that I was forced to sacrifice our happiness for and you are the only ones who can bring it to pass."

"Okay, all of that isolation has clearly made you delusional." Zac stated, rolling his eyes. "We're not powerful enough to end an ancient cold war! Like I told you, I have zero interest in being a merman, and I fully intend to live out my life on land. End of story. Whatever you're plotting, count me out."

"You can't turn your back on this, Zac. This is how it is meant to be!"

His patience now expired, Zac turned away from the woman who claimed to be his mother.

No matter what she said, and no matter what their biological link might be, he refused to see her that way—a mother was someone that cared for you, kept you close and offered you her love. No matter what she said, at the end of the day, this woman had left him and had now returned to talk about destinies and grand plans.

He didn't owe her anything. And he wanted no part in her plans.

"Zac, please don't go!" He heard her exclaim and he walked brusquely along the sand, heading away from her as quickly as he could. "There are things you don't understand. The prophecy says…"

"I'm done listening!" the boy shouted back, glancing over his shoulder as he continued to walk. "I'm finished!"

For a moment, he felt invigorated. He did not hear her retort, and he was quite sure that he had finally shown her that he was done.

He hadn't asked for this life. And he would do anything he could to live as normally as he could.

Before he could get a safe distance away from the shore, however, the sound of surging water made him freeze in his tracks.

Suddenly full of dread, Zac turned just in time to see an unexpectedly large wave rushing towards him.

Unfortunately for him, it was too late to get out of the way, and he only managed to let out a quiet "No!" before the wave drew him in. It wasn't terribly strong, but it was enough to soak him and pull him to the edge of the shore.

Foolishly, he tried to stand up as soon as it had subsided. But, seconds later, he collapsed back onto the wet sand, his blue tail on full display.

"Zac!" He heard Nerissa exclaim.

He could see her rushing towards him, and he did his best to push his body towards the water. But the next several waves did not come as close and maneuvering on the sand was difficult. For the second time that night, he was too slow.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" He heard her ask as she reached his side.

Zac scowled up at her, not the least bit consoled.

"Of course I'm not okay!" He exclaimed. "Thanks to you, I'm a freak of nature!"

As he spoke, another large wave came forward, brushing Nerissa's ankles. A moment later, her own tail appeared and she too was left stranded, and legless, on the shore.

For a second, Zac could not stop himself from examining her new form (her true form, he reminded himself). It was foolish, and he hated himself for it, but he could not quash the faint feeling for familiarity.

Perhaps, in some deep dark recess of his subconscious mind, he could remember being held by her…remember how her tears had fallen as she had let her newborn son be whisked away.

"You've grown into such a handsome young merman, Zac." She said softly, brushing a stray strand of hair out of his eyes. "I wish I could have been there. For everything."

He pulled back instantly, not ready or willing to accept her tender touch.

"You don't get to do this." He snapped, well aware that the redness in his eyes had returned.

He hated himself for letting his emotions overcome him, but he knew that there was nothing that he could do.

"You don't get to come back here and win me over with your sob story after what you did." He could see that his words had stung but he refused to let himself care. "I will _never _want to be a merman, and I will _never_ want to be your son."

Nerissa stiffened as she tried to fight back her own emotions.

"You will always be my son. And I will always love you. Unconditionally."

Unable to take any more, Zac pushed himself into the next surging wave and speed off into the ocean's dark depths.

He felt numb.

Angry.

Helpless.

And, worst of all, her words were still ringing in his ears.

No matter how stubborn he was, and no matter how long he managed to avoid her, deep down, he knew that she was right.

She was his mother.

His blood.

And he would never be able to completely push her away.

Not forever…

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A/N—Let me know what you think. If there is positive response, I might do another chapter or two.


	2. Chapter 2

Zac surfaced in Rita's pool, winded from the frantic swim that he had just taken.

As soon as he'd ducked under the waves and fled from the woman who claimed to be his mother, he had flung himself through the deep blue as fast as his tail could carry him. For a while, he had managed to keep his mind blissfully clear. He'd focused on the water and on propelling himself forward. But as soon as he began to feel the strain in his muscles, he had been snapped back to reality.

His tail was tired.

_His tail. _

His sudden awareness of it had served as a painful reminder of what he was, and made him think about the world that Nerissa was trying to draw him into.

So finally, feeling both panicked and defeated, Zac had made his way to one of the few places where he still felt safe. He was quite certain that Nerissa would not follow him there, and part of him hoped that he would find comfort from someone he could talk to openly.

At least in the grotto, everyone already knew his secrets.

Going home was not an option—his parents would be there, expecting him to join them for dinner, and they would notice that he was shaken. As much as it still pained him to keep secrets from the people who had raised him, he could not bring himself to tell them the truth. He wasn't sure if he ever could. Telling land people—even ones he trusted with his life—about the mer world was a risk and, even worse, he was convinced that they would never be able to look at him the same way again if they knew about his true origins.

The Blakely's would still love him, of course. They'd raised him and, for all intents and purposes, he was their son. But the truth would still change things between them. He didn't want them to know what he was, and he certainly didn't want to tell him that there was now a powerful mermaid in town claiming to be his biological mother.

Rita's was safer for the time being. At least here, he would have a chance to collect his thoughts away from prying (human) eyes.

After taking another deep breath, Zac used his remaining strength to awkwardly hoist himself up onto the ledge of the pool.

He had always hated how helpless he felt in these moments between the water and his transition to human form. Having a tail on land was such a hindrance and once he was on the shore he was usually anxious to get his legs back as soon as possible. Unfortunately, that always took at least a minute of intense drying, during which time he was forced to feel like a literal fish out of water.

Today, after what had just happened, the feeling was worse than ever. His hand shook as he reached out to heat his tail and rid it of all traces of liquid. For the first time in a long while, he cringed at the sight of his blue scales and had to resist the very strong urge to look away.

The appendage seemed to foreign to him and he wished that he could banish it forever.

He had never asked for this life and, as he had told Nerissa during the encounter, he felt like a complete freak. At that moment, he would have given anything to go back in time and be normal—as the saying went, ignorance was bliss and if he had stayed away from the moon pool, he would have had at least a few more years of a happy life.

Still feeling frantic and a little bit nauseous, Zac tried to focus his efforts on the task at hand.

Perhaps everything would start to feel better once he was back on his blissfully normal feet.

Before he could finish the drying process, however, the sound of footsteps snapped him away from his work and Zac looked up just in time to see Mimmi emerge from the stone staircase that led down to the pool.

For a second, she smiled—clearly assuming that he had come to meet her for the swim she had proposed. But the look of panic on his face soon told her that this was not the case.

Like it or not, the siblings had a deep connection, and she could tell that something was wrong.

"Zac?" She asked cautiously as she rushed to his side. "Are you okay?"

"No." He replied, hating how weak and vulnerable his voice suddenly sounded. He tried to ignore the pricking of tears behind his eyes.

"I need to get rid of this…this…_thing_. Now." He continued, gesturing towards his tail. "Quick, help me get dry."

She gave him an inquisitive look, but reached out to add her own heating powers to the process.

"Why the panic?" She asked as she moved her hand towards his fluke. "Did you get hurt? What's wrong with your tail?"

Zac felt another wave of nausea pass through him as Mimmi said the words 'your tail'.

"It's a bloody tail! That's what's wrong!" He snapped back, much more forcefully then before.

He instantly felt bad for shouting at her, and he looked away to avoid lingering on her hurt expression. Despite the fact that she served as a painful reminder of how complicated and messy his life had become, part of him was still grateful to have her there. They were still getting to know each other, but he could not deny that he already cared for her deeply and did not think she deserved to be the target of his panic-induced wrath.

As soon as he told her what happened, she would be dealing with a plethora of emotions too, and they would need each other to lean on.

After drawing a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself, Zac looked back towards his sister and muttered a quiet apology. She offered him a warm and reassuring smile before waving her hand over the last wet area of his tail.

Seconds later, Zac's legs appeared and he quickly scrambled to his feet, thankful that he could temporarily put up a human façade.

"Thank god." He exclaimed, patting his legs as if to check that they were really there.

"So." Mimmi began, crossing her arms across her chest as she watched the boy's strange antics. "Are you going to tell me what has you so freaked out, or are you going to make me guess?"

Feeling his heart rate instantly increase as he forced himself to think about what had transpired earlier that night, Zac reluctantly met her gaze. For a second, he felt as if he was staring into Nerissia's eyes once again—Mimmi looked so much like her and their eyes were the same deep blue.

As he thought about, he realized reluctantly that the woman on the beach had looked quite a bit like him too. The same defined cheekbones, the same wavy dark hair and full pink lips. He had always thought that he could see some resemblance between himself and his adoptive parents, but he had never seen anyone so hauntingly familiar until that night.

There was no denying it. He had met their mother.

And Mimmi deserved to know.

"I saw her." He began, trying to keep his voice as steady as possible. "She was on the beach, and she wanted to talk."

Mimmi furrowed her brow, clearly confused. Zac knew that he needed to clarify.

"I saw Nerissia." He said as his sister's eyes widened in shock. "She's back."

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Silence filled the main chamber of the grotto as Zac finished recounting his conversation with Nerissa. Mimmi, who was still shocked from the news, had listened attentively and did her best to absorb every word.

Her heart was pounding rapidly in her chest, and it had taken all of her concentration to stop her mind from wander in a million different directions.

She wasn't exactly sure how she felt—or how she should feel. First and foremost, she was stunned by the woman's sudden arrival. And part of her was happy to think that she would probably see her mother again soon. But she was also scared, and a bit angry—and she was struggling to come to terms with what Zac had said about their magical destinies. Apparently, they were supposed to be the ones to reunite the mer-people…and that seemed like an insurmountable challenge.

She knew that she needed to know more. There were still so many questions.

And, in truth, she was a bit hurt that their mother had come to Zac first.

Mimmi had been the one who still had distant memories of her, and had spent the last fourteen years yearning for her mother's touch. Of course her brother deserved to meet her too, but he had only known about her for a short time and (judging from his current levels of anger), he was very reluctant to accept Nerissia as his mother.

He had other parents. Another mother who had loved and raised him.

Mimmi had no one.

As confused and frustrated as she was with the situation, a part of her was tempted to dive into the ocean as soon as possible and spend the night looking for the elusive mermaid.

She needed to see her. She needed her own answers.

And she needed to figure out what to do next.

But first, she realized as she looked over at her brother's troubled face, she had to be there for Zac.

"We need to find a way to block ourselves from being sensed by her." Zac stated anxiously, his eyes flickering towards Rita's shelf of potion ingredients. "She said that she was able to track us, because she can sense our magic…maybe if we can find a way to get rid of our powers, we'll be safe."

Mimmi resisted the urge to roll her eyes as he spoke. She knew that he was frazzled, and reluctant to accept his true self but, to her, that was a ridiculous idea.

She paused for a moment as she thought about how she could explain that in a way that was not condescending or dismissive.

"That isn't possible, Zac." She said as she gently placed a hand on his arm. "I've never come across a spell or potion that can do that." She hesitated. "And I don't think we need to be afraid of her."

"I'm not afraid." Zac replied hastily, pulling away from Mimmi's touch and crossing his arms across his chest. "I just…I just don't want to deal with this right now. I don't think I ever want to deal with it. I don't want a tail or a magical destiny. And I certainly don't want to see _her _again."

Mimmi let out a soft sigh and looked towards one of the grotto's stone walls.

It frustrated her to hear Zac talk like this, and she had thought that they had worked past his "denial" stage a few months ago. After he had found out about his true origins he had (understandably) been in shock, and had gone out of his way to avoid her for nearly three weeks. When they had finally talked, he had expressed his strong desire to "be normal" and had initially tried to deny their connection.

Eventually, he had started to come around. He still wasn't thrilled about the situation, but he had accepted her and (she thought) he had accepted himself.

Apparently, however, seeing Nerissia had dredged up some of his old feelings.

She knew that she had to be patient.

"I know that this is hard, Zac." She began gently. "It is difficult for me, too. I've spent most of my life both missing her and resenting her, and now I have no idea what to do. And, if she is right about the prophecy or whatever, then this is going to be hard on both of us."

Zac looked like he was about to cut in, but she quickly continued.

"But I don't think running away is a viable option." She ignored Zac's loud scoff. "Like it or not, we might have an important destiny. You don't have to see her as your mother, or turn your back on the world you grew up in, but I don't think you'll be able to turn your back on your people, either. This silly feud has dragged on for centuries, and would you really be able to live with yourself if you gave up your chance to end it once and for all?"

She could see that his expression had hardened as she spoke, and she braced herself for his retort.

"You sound just like _her_." Zac snapped, wrinkling his nose in distaste. "Prophecies, destines…it is all ridiculous!"

He stood up abruptly, and paced back and forth as he tried to gather his frantic thoughts. Mimmi could sense his agitation, and she waited for his rant to continue. If experience had taught her anything, Zac needed to get his tirades out before he could be reasoned with.

"I was hoping for some support, Mimmi." He continued, flashing her a scowl. "I thought you might have enough sense to see past her delusions. But I guess I was wrong."

The girl felt her body tense as a flash of anger ran though her, but she continued to fight back her urge to respond. It was clear that he was not finished yet.

"They may be your people, but they're not my people!" He exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air in frustration. Several glass objects behind him shattered, apparently struck by an emotionally induced surge of his magic, but he hardly seemed to notice.

"I've done my best to put up with everything for the past few months, but I can't change who I am or how I feel. I grew up on land, and that is where my loyalties lie. I am going to have a normal life—school, a job, a family—and there is nothing that can tear me away from that." The boy paused for a moment, looking in her direction once more. His voice finally softened. "I care about you, Mimmi, I do. You're my sister, and I love you. But not even you can convince me to give up on the life I want. If you want to go reunite the mer people then great, I won't stop you. But count me out."

Silence hung in the air one more and Mimmi tried to gather her thoughts. She was relived, at least, that he still accepted her. But his ongoing stubbornness was still frustrating.

She understood why he was so reluctant—and she knew that he would always maintain his tied to the land— but she was also convinced that he was wrong.

She had to make him see that.

After drawing a deep breath, she finally spoke.

"They are your people." She replied firmly, her face set with a stubborn expression that mirrored his perfectly. "You may have been raised on land but, deep down, I know that you can't deny your connection to the sea. You know it too. You've told me that before. At your core, you are a merman—and you always will be."

He frowned, probably regretting the past conversations they had had. It was true—during the past few months, they had discussed many things—including Zac's love of the ocean and his undeniable connection to it (and to Mako).

"And even if you don't care about mer-people in general, I also know that you at least care about some of us. Me, Rita, Serina, Ondina, Lyla, Nixie, Erik…we all need you, Zac. We've all made sacrifices, and we need you to help set things right. If we can end this war, together, then we can all be happy and safe."

Mimmi heard him let out a short sigh, and watched as he turned away. She couldn't tell if she was getting to him or not, and she decided to continue.

"Plus—" she began more reluctantly, not sure if she should push things in this direction. "Even if you chose to live most of your life on land, you'll never be able to turn away permanently. You can have a job and a life, but you'll always need the ocean to survive. You know how bad you feel when you try to stay out of it for too long." He flinched, clearly recalling the fatigue and painful dryness that had accompanied his previous attempts to stay out of the water for more than twenty-four hours.

"And the same will be true of your children."

As soon as the words left her mouth, Mimmi knew that she had hit a nerve. Zac instantly whipped around, his eyes flashing with surprise and anger as he looked towards her.

"What does that mean?" He snapped, anger apparent in his voice.

She hesitated once again. Clearly, he hadn't thought about this before but, as much as she knew it would create more short term drama, Mimmi knew that he needed to be aware of all of the consequences of his decisions. It pained her to cause him stress but, on the other hand, he deserved to know.

He deserved to make a fully informed decision.

"If you have children one day." She began steadily, meeting his gaze. "They'll be merpeople. Even if you have them with a land person. Merpeople genes are dominant, and you are 100% merman."

His mouth opened and closed wordlessly, and Mimmi began to expand.

"So even if you turn your back on us, those you care about most will still be affected. You can live on land but, if your children chose the sea, you'll be leaving them in a world of tension and turmoil." She paused and squared her shoulders. "I realize that all of this is a shock, and a huge responsibility—but I think Nerissa is right. We have a duty to OUR people, and to all future generations. This might our chance to set things right. At the very least, we need to hear her out."

Mimmi winced as Zac angrily threw his hands into the air once again and turned away.

She could see the emotion on his face, and feel both the anger and stress that was radiating off of him.

She knew that this would not be an easy fight. But she felt that it was important to stand her ground.

"I'm sorry I came." Her brother snapped as he stomped towards the stairs that led out of the grotto. "This was a mistake."

He paused as he reached the threshold and looked back towards her for a brief moment.

"If you won't help me, I'll find a way to get away from this myself."

And with that, he disappeared from view.

As she heard the secret door slam, Mimmi let out a tense sigh. That had not gone as she had hoped, but she was not surprised by his strong reactions. As she had said, she knew that this was a struggle for him and she was willing to do what it took to bring him around. Even if that meant giving him some space and time to come to his senses.

She was not, however, planning to sit around and wait for her brother before making her next move. This involved her just as much as it involved him, and she knew what she needed to do.

Her face set with determination, Mimmi stood up and walked towards the grotto's hidden pool.

It was time to have a conversation of her own.

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A/N: I hope to continue- let me know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

"Mother."

The word escaped her mouth mere seconds after she surfaced in the dark waters of the moon pool. Although her heart was beating rapidly and her mind was racing with anticipation, Mimmi could not say that she was shocked to find the woman here.

She had always trusted her instincts and, after leaving Rita's grotto and focusing her mind on her long lost mother, she had immediately been drawn to this place. It wasn't surprising, really. There were not a lot of safe places for mermaids to hide this close to the mainland and she suspected that Nerissa had no intention of going away until she had spoken to her and Zac.

Well, Zac, at least…

The revelation that their mother had come to Zac first, and had not yet gone in search of her, still stung the young mermaid. Perhaps she no longer cared about Mimmi at all and had only come to get her powerful son on her side. But, as the woman turned around to face her, those bitter thoughts quickly began to melt away.

"Mimmi."

She could already see the tears welling in Nerissa's eyes and Mimmi barely had time to take in her appearance before she felt herself being wrapped in her mother's warm embrace.

"My darling girl—no words can express how much I have missed you."

Mimmi knew that it was somewhat foolish to be taken in by the moment but she was not strong enough to resist her own inner desires. She had dreamt of this reunion for as long as she could remember and, to her, Nerissa's emotions seemed genuine. She could almost feel the love and sadness emanating off of the older mermaid.

"I…I missed you." Mimmi managed to choke out. It was taking every ounce of her strength to keep herself composed right now—as overwhelming as this situation was, she didn't want to let herself be overcome. There was too much to say. Too much to talk about. And allowing herself to become a blubbering mess in her mother's arms would not be productive.

Plus, if what her mother had said to Zac was any indication, then it was possible that time was of the essence. If Nerissa was willing to risk everything by coming back here to see them, then that probably meant that they were all in danger.

"I missed you too, my darling." Nerissa said softly as she finally released Mimmi from her arms. "There wasn't a day that went by that I didn't think about you. I wish…"

"Don't." Mimmi cut, her eyes locking with her mother's deep blue.

The woman looked surprised by her interjection but she allowed her to continue. "I know you didn't want to go." Mimmi began again, offering the best reassuring smile she could muster. "But I don't want to dwell on the 'what ifs'…not now, anyway. What's done is done. I'm just glad that you're here now." She paused, flinching as her mind momentarily flittered back to her earlier encounter in the grotto. "And I'm glad that I found Zac. I just want us all to move forward."

She watched as her mother's shoulder's relaxed and it felt as if some of the tension in the air had dissipated.

Mimmi had to admit that she was somewhat surprised by her own words. Everything was happening so fast—she had gone from having a quiet evening alone in the grotto to confronting her distraught brother and her estranged mother in the course of two hours. This was not how she had envisioned spending her day, and the news of Nerissa's arrival had caught her off guard.

She hadn't really had time to plan what she was going to say or think about how she was going to feel when they finally came face to face. But, now that it had happened, Mimmi was struck by the odd sense of calm that was growing inside of her.

Yes, the situation was difficult. And yes, she also felt an odd combination of sadness and regret and joy.

But she had meant what she had said. She did not want a tearful reunion filled with apologies and remorse. She knew why Nerissa had left—natural conception was not allowed, and giving birth to a merman was a particularly heinous crime in the eyes of the mermaid council.

Mimmi, of course, found that aspect of mermaid law outdated and ridiculous and most of her anger was reserved for those who had established and upheld the silly rules which had torn their world, and their family, apart.

Nerissa had left to keep them safe. She had left because those around her had given her no choice.

Being left behind had stung. And it was a feeling that she would never, ever, forget. But now that her mother was back it felt like the natural order had been restored. The three of them could be together.

Be a _family_.

And that was all she wanted to dwell on right now.

"I appreciate that, sweetheart." Nerissa finally replied, a small smile tugging at the side of her lips. "Nothing can change how badly I feel for what happened—but it warms me to know that my daughter has grown into such a compassionate and forgiving young mermaid."

Mimmi smiled back before joining her mother on the ledge of the moon pool. She had a feeling that there was lots to discuss and she figured that it was best to make herself comfortable.

It was surreal to be sitting here. With her.

She looked more or less as she remembered. Long dark hair, vibrant blue eyes. Slightly tanned skin and a beautiful, delicate face.

In a way, it was spooky. Like seeing a ghost from her long buried past.

But there was a certain comfort in it as well. Despite their long separation, Nerissa was so incredibly familiar. She could see shadows of herself and Zac in the woman's face, and she could recall that comforting smile from her earliest childhood memories.

Somehow, looking at her was exhilarating and comforting at the same time.

"Zac told me about your discussion on the beach." Mimmi decided to start, her eyes still locked on her mother. "He was pretty freaked out when I talked to him, but I think he told me pretty much everything. About us uniting the north and south, mermaids and mermen…"

She heard Nerissa draw a deep breath. "Yes." She said softly, looking up towards the dark sky as she began to gather her thoughts. Mimmi had the sense that this was not something she enjoyed talking about but, if what Zac had said was correct, this was clearly a conversation they would have to have. And sooner was better than later.

"I hate to burden you and your brother with all of this." Nerissa admitted with a sigh. She ran a hand through her dark hair before she continued. "When I finally found you again, I wanted to have a proper reunion. To spend time together unburdened by magic and fate and destiny. But I have been watching the stars and reading the signs—and I fear that this cannot wait much longer. I am sorry that I did not manage to tell you about it together. I wanted to. But I found Zac alone of the beach first and I didn't want to wait. I couldn't wait. Time is of the essence here."

Mimmi nodded and waited for the woman to continue.

"In two weeks, there will be a red moon and the ocean's magic will be at its strongest." She began to explain, looking back towards her daughter. "If you and Zac are in the proper places, you will be able to control that magic."

Mimmi's brow furrowed as she contemplated that statement. She knew that they were all more powerful than most merpeople, of course—but controlling 'the magic of the ocean' seemed impossible, even for them. And what did that even mean? No one knew how to harness that kind of primal elemental magic and she doubted that they were capable of such a feat.

Maybe Zac was right after all. Maybe Nerissa really was off her rocker.

"Look, I know it seems unmanageable." Her mother continued as if reading her thoughts. "But trust me, it is possible."

"How?" Mimmi interjected, unable to hold back her questions any longer. "And even if we could control that kind of power, what would we do with it? _Why_ would we want to do this?"

There was a brief pause and Mimmi watched as Nerissa shifted uncomfortably again the ledge. Clearly, she was not pleased about the situation—but she managed to set her face with determination as she began to speak again.

"As you know," she started, "you and Zac are the first natural born merpeople to exist in centuries. And that automatically makes you more powerful."

Mimmi folded her arms across her chest and nodded. This was nothing that she hadn't heard before and she still was sure why that meant they were capable of incredible acts during the red moon.

"If I am not mistaken, you also know that you were born out of a union of the north and the south. My family line has a long history of leadership in the north and your father's line once ruled the merpeople of the south."

The young mermaid felt her heart rate increase slightly at the mention of her father. She knew very little about him, aside from his place of origin. She had no idea if he was still around—or how their connection to this mysterious merman would affect their destinies. Despite her trepidation, she found herself listening with anticipation.

"The merman chamber on Mako was once the seat of their power." Nerissa continued, a sad smile crossing her face. "And our family once built and controlled a similar chamber on Kisinaa Island."

A jolt ran through her body at the mention of Kisinaa and she instantly turned towards her mother. Mimmi had not heard anyone mention Kisinaa since she was a child—but the mermaids of the north regarded it was the same awe and reverence that those of the south held for Mako. She could vaguely recall visiting it once and she knew that it was in the northern waters of Hudson's Bay. But other than that, she was completely in the dark.

She had had no idea that the place had such a strong tie to her mother's family.

"So…so what does all of that mean, then?" Mimmi asked, her voice softer than it had been before. "What does this have to do with reuniting the mer-world?"

Nerissa drew another deep breath. "If you can activate the mermaid chamber on Kisinaa, and if Zac can activate the merman chamber on Mako, then the magic of the ocean, and all of its inhabitants, will be yours to control. You will take your place as the rightful rulers of our people and guide them towards a brighter future."

"Control?" Mimmi let out a shaky breath. She did not like the sound of that word and she shuffled nervously in her seat.

Was Nerissa saying that they should use mind control to end the centuries-long feud between mermen and mermaids?

As much as Mimmi wanted to bring harmony to her world, that did not seem like the answer. It seemed dark. Ominous.

There was no way that she would ever agree to something like that. And she was certain that Zac wouldn't either.

And what did she mean by "rightful rulers"? Was she implying that they were royalty or something? There had not been hereditary rule in the mer-world since ancient times, and she was not particularly keen to revive that antiquated tradition either.

"Don't worry, sweetheart." Nerissa cut in, breaking her away from her thoughts. "I'm not asking you to end this by force. To compel people to think or act in a certain way." She paused, her eyes pleading for understanding. "But, after centuries of this futile war, I think we have to use this chance to bring people together in the best way possible. If you and Zac call our people—all of our people—together, and ask them speak rather than fight, then we might be able to begin the healing process."

She paused, looking up towards the night sky once more.

"Most mermaids and mermen never even encounter the other half of their species. They're afraid and they are misinformed. You can change that simply by calling them together."

Mimmi raised her brow skeptically. She was grateful that Nerissa was not suggesting mind control, but this still seemed ridiculous. "You mean…we should summon everyone for some sort of giant meeting?"

"Yes." Nerissa replied with a nod. "You can summon everyone—either to Mako or to Kisinaa—and we can speak to the leaders of all the pods and tribes. I know it might not seem like it, but there are more supporters of unity out there than you might think. I have met many in my travels and I firmly believe that, if they are given a chance to speak, we can make serious progress."

The girl gave a soft smile as she glanced around the small cave.

She had to admit that her mother was making a decent case. She still needed to know more—much more—but the idea of unity and reconciliation certainly appealed to her. Mimmi was a natural pacifist, and she wanted her people to live in peace.

And, on a more selfish level, she wanted her to family to be reunited. This still feud had driven them apart for too long and she wanted to live in a world where they could all be together without cowering in fear.

But, even if she wanted all of that, and even if Nerissa was right, there was still at least one massive obstacle.

"Zac will never agree to this." She began softly, her voice tinged with regret. "He told me himself—he thinks you're…delusional, and he doesn't even want to be a merman. He says he doesn't care about the sea."

Mimmi watched as Nerissa glanced down towards the quietly lapping water. There was an unmistakeable sadness in her eyes and Mimmi could tell that her reunion with her son had been as painful for her as it had been for him.

"He's angry. And scared." The older mermaid said quietly, her hand fidgeting with the silver pendant on her necklace. "I can't blame him for that. All of this is still new to him, and he feels a strong attachment to his life on land. But—" She paused, looking towards he daughter once more. "I _know_ that he also shares the same connection to the sea that we do. I can sense it. It is only a matter of time before he accepts who, and what, he is."

"Yes," Mimmi began with a small sigh. She could sense the same things that her mother could, and firmly believed that Zac would eventually come around. "But will he accept it in time? You said the red moon is only two weeks away. And trust me, he can be pretty stubborn."

To her surprise, Nerissia suddenly smiled.

"He gets that from his father." She noted, a hint of amusement in her voice. "And I have a feeling that _he'll_ be able to talk some sense into your brother…"

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It was late when the messenger arrived and Veridia was not amused that she had been kept waiting for so long. She had never been a patient woman and she scowled dangerously as the other mermaid approached.

"I'm sorry, Veridia." The younger mermaid said breathlessly, sensing her leader's annoyance. "I swam back as fast as I could. But Nerissa did not make contact with her children until nightfall."

"Very well." Veridia responded, waving her hand dismissively. She did not have time for excuses. "At least you found her. What else were you able to discover?"

The teenager took a deep breath. "I couldn't risk getting to close, so I didn't hear everything." She admitted, avoiding the older mermaid's gaze. "But I was able to hear a bit of her conversation with her son. The merman seemed…agitated. He was not pleased to see her, and he said he wasn't going to help her carry out her plan."

Veridia nodded, her fists clenching as she anticipated what was to come. "What plan?" She asked curtly.

"I don't know, exactly." The mermaid replied. "She said something about a prophecy. About uniting north and south, mermaids and mermen." The girl paused, hesitating. "That doesn't sound too terrible, which is good, I guess..."

Veridia scoffed. "Foolish child." She huffed with a shake of her head. "If only you knew how dangerous she and her children truly are. Now," she snapped, waving her hand once more. "Leave me be, Lena. Tell no one what you heard or saw. If I require your services again, I will let you know."

Wordlessly, the young mermaid ducked beneath the waves, leaving Veridia alone in the dark patch of ocean.

Things were playing out exactly how she expected.

She knew that she had to stop Nerrissa and her offspring before it was too late…


	4. Chapter 4

It was two o'clock. On a Monday. And Zac Blakely still hadn't left his room.

In fact, he had barely even left his bed, despite the fact that he had been awake for several hours.

He was sure that his parents, and Rita, were going to be angry at him if they found out that he was skipping school but he couldn't really bring himself to care.

He had put a note on his door, telling his parents that he had left early—and he had used his invisibility to hide when they had come into the boathouse to double check. Zac felt a bit guilty for tricking them, but he had far more serious things to worry about at the moment.

His long lost "mother" was back, and his so-called sister had seemingly jumped on her delusional bandwagon. As annoyed as he was with Nerissa for showing up and turning his life upside down once again with her talk of ridiculous prophecies, Zac found himself more disappointed by Mimmi's betrayal.

Although he was still getting used to having a twin sister, he thought that they had been growing closer during the past few months. For the most part, he had liked having her around and he had thought that they shared a bond that went even deeper than their visions.

But yesterday, after he had shown her that their mother was clearly insane, she had sided with the woman that had _abandoned _them both. Mimmi had wanted to give Nerissia a chance. To hear her out.

And Zac had been furious about her lack of support.

To add insult to injury, Mimmi had also decided to go on about his deep connection to the mer-world, and had felt the need to tell him that he and all of his descendants would never manage to escape the magical mess his life had become.

According to his sister, any children he had would be merpeople too—even if he ended up with a land girl. It was something that he had never thought about before but, as much as he wanted to deny it, he knew that she was probably right. This curse would not end with him.

Perhaps it was silly, but that was part of the reason why he hadn't been able to make himself go to school that day.

Evie would be there, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to tell her what was happening yet…and he certainly wasn't ready to tell her what Mimmi said. As much as it pained him to think about it, he knew that Evie was determined to be normal again one day. She had accepted being a mermaid for now but she saw it as a temporary state of affairs. Rita and Mimmi were both convinced that if Evie returned to the moon pool on the anniversary of her transformation, she would go back to normal again—and that was only six months away.

They didn't talk about it much, but Zac knew that she was looking forward to that day. She hated keeping secrets from her father, she hated being on guard every time she left the house. Plus, at her core, Evie was human.

He couldn't blame her for wanting to return to her regular life. To the life she was always meant to have.

But a part of him was jealous. He would never be able to go back to the way things were before and the life he had known and loved had never really been his.

He was always going to be stuck as a merman.

He also feared that, one day, Evie would decide that having him around was simply too complicated. She loved him, of course—and she always said that she didn't care what he was. But, despite her proclamations, he knew that it mattered. She wanted a normal life, and she couldn't have that with a guy who was part fish.

With him.

And although it was far away, if they ever did get married and have children he knew that their lives would just get more difficult. He was pretty sure that she would not be happy with the thought of giving birth to little mer-babies. Perhaps he would be able to use the same spell that Nerissa used on him to hide their tails for eighteen years. But one day, sooner or later, they would be condemned. And it would be entirely his fault.

With a dejected sigh, Zac rolled over and pulled the blankets over his head. It didn't fully block out the sunlight, but it did help him feel as if he was escaping from his messed up world for at least a moment.

If only he could stay here, in his warm dark cocoon. No crazy relatives, no tails, no magic and no destinies. Just him and the comforting softness of his childhood bed.

Despite his effort to keep his mind clear from dark and troubling thoughts, he found himself wondering how much longer he was going to be able to stay in this place.

In his home.

There was no doubt that his childhood was painfully and permanently over now. The last few months had stripped him of most of the comfort and security he had one had.

Now that she was back and intent on making him "fulfil his duty to his people," would Nerissa somehow force him to go away with her? Would she cast another powerful spell to take away his legs forever, forcing him to live his life entirely in the ocean?

The thought sent a shiver down his spine.

He doubted that she would do anything quite so dramatic, but the fear still lingered in the back of his mind. She had taken away his life once before—changed him into something he was not and made him live in a world that wasn't his. It was entirely possible that she could wreak havoc on his life once again.

He had no idea what she was capable of. He hardly knew anything about her.

And he was pretty sure that he didn't want to find out more.

Mimmi could do what she wanted, but they would have to leave him out of it. Perhaps he hadn't been born on land, but this was his world now. He wanted this life. He wanted to be with his parents, his friends…with Evie. He wanted a career and a future that didn't involve floating listlessly through the sea.

He'd keep the tail if he had to. And he'd talk to Mimmi if she agreed not to mention their mother.

But that was it.

He wouldn't give the merpeople any more power over him.

They were all the same, and they all wanted him to "face his destiny."

Unintentionally, Zac let out a loud yawn and stretched out his cramped limbs. He was a naturally athletic and active person and was not used to spending this much time immobile. It didn't feel great, and he was admittedly a bit antsy, but he still couldn't force himself to get up.

As soon as he went outside, he knew that he would hear the alluring lapping of the ocean. He would feel its call.

And he simply didn't want to think about any of that right now.

He needed a day away from the water, no matter how much his body ached or how much his skin itched. He needed to be normal. He needed a day on _land_.

And, as everyone around him knew, Zac Blakely was extremely stubborn.

Drawing a deep breath, Zac pulled the covers off of his face and tried to clear his mind by starring at the plain white ceiling.

Before he had a chance to take another comforting breath, however, a knocking sound caused him to sit bolt upright in his bed.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

It wasn't loud, but Zac's heart instantly started pounding as he looked towards the boat house door.

He had been hoping for at least one day of seclusion, and he had no idea who was on the other side. It was only two fifteen. His mum was off visiting her sister until later that evening, and his dad never made it home from the hospital until at least 6pm. Most of his friends were still at school…

Perhaps he was overreacting, but he was willing to bet that whoever it was did not follow a regular human schedule.

With a frustrated growl, Zac jumped to his feet, allowing the blankets to fall onto the floor in a heap.

There was another knock, and he knew that his unexpected visitor was not going to go away.

It was probably Mimmi, he told himself as he walked towards the door. This wouldn't be the first time she had come for an unannounced visit. She had done it a lot the first few months after they had discovered their connection, in an attempt to bond with her brother. At first, he had been annoyed—but eventually, they had managed to have pleasant visits.

Perhaps she was hoping to make amends and rebuild their relationship in the same way she had before.

As much as he didn't really want to see his sister right now, Zac knew that anyone but Nerissa would be a welcomed relief. And, if it was her, he had a few choice words in mind…

The person knocked again and, with a final huff, Zac grabbed the door knob and yanked it open.

He looked up, expecting to see Mimmi but his mouth fell open in surprise as he found himself face to face with an unexpected figure.

It was certainly not his sister.

Instead, it was a middle aged man with dark hair and slightly almond shaped eyes. He was tall, perhaps an inch or two taller than Zac, and his white t-shirt did not hide the fact that he was rather muscular.

He was handsome but, aside from that, quite unremarkable. He wasn't wearing seashells, or strange gauzy fabric. At first glance, he appeared to be a completely normal bloke.

Although, Zac realized as he continued to examine the new arrival, there was something oddly familiar about him as well.

"Can I help you?" Zac asked, trying to keep his voice steady. He was nervous, in light of everything that had happened yesterday, but he still hoped that this had nothing to do with that. Maybe this man was just a salesperson, knocking at the beach house door after discovering that no one else was home.

"Hello, Zac." The man replied, offering a worried smile.

Zac's stomach sank and he contemplated slamming the door in this mystery man's face. Clearly, this was no accidental house call…the man knew who he was and Zac suspected that he knew what was going on.

He suddenly realized that he had looked into those eyes before.

He looked into them every day in the mirror…

"Your…Nerissa told me where I could find you." The man continued, all but confirming Zac's fears. "I know you're upset with her, and you have every right to be—but I still think it might be useful for us to talk." He paused, shifting his weight nervously from foot to foot.

The young man froze and he felt his appendages go numb. The possibility of this had, admittedly, crossed his mind during the last twenty four hours, but he hadn't actually thought that it would happen.

And he certainly hadn't thought that it would happen so soon.

But, he supposed, it was foolish to make any sort of prediction when his crazy "family" was involved. With them, it seemed, anything was possible.

"You're my father, aren't you?"

Zac blurted the words out quickly before giving it much thought. His voice wasn't angry, or even surprised. It was just…flat.

In truth, he was a bit surprised that he wasn't filled with the same sort of boiling anger that had overcome him yesterday on the beach. Perhaps he was just too drained to muster much of a reaction at this point.

Even though he was standing face to face with his biological father for the first time he felt surprisingly little emotion. Sure, he was reasonably nervous, but he knew even less about this man than he did about his mother and he had not spent much time during the past few months thinking about that side of his parentage. Nerissa was always the topic of discussion amongst the mermaids he associated with.

Nobody knew who his father was, and even Mimmi hadn't known his name.

Although part of him was still tempted to slam and lock the door, the flickers of vulnerability in the man made him hesitate—he struck him very differently than Nerissa had. Nerissa had approached him with a confidence and arrogance that had completely rubbed him the wrong way. She had clearly expected him to run into his arms and profess that he had missed her greatly.

But this man—his _father_—didn't seem to be projecting the same expectations. It annoyed him that Nerissa had sent him, but something about the man's demeanour made him more open to giving him a chance.

There was no way in hell that Zac was going to be roped into Nerissa's games, no matter what his newfound father said, but he'd be lying if he said he didn't want to know at least a little bit about the man who had given him life. Even if he chose never to see him again after this discussion.

"Yes, I'm your father." The man replied, his eyes examining his son for the first time. Zac could see the emotion behind them, but the new arrival managed to keep himself in check far better than Nerissa had—much to Zac's relief. He didn't really know what to think, or what to do— but he did know that he would not be able to tolerate a tearful reunion.

He was curious, yes, but he was also determined not to get attached. He wanted his questions answered, and then he wanted this man out of his life. Period.

He needed to keep his distance.

"But you don't need to call me that, of course." The new arrival continued hurriedly. "I know you have land parents and I know what that's like. I'm not here expecting to replace them in any way. You can call me Jon, if you'd like."

Zac was a bit surprised by his words, but he nodded curtly. Clearly, Jon was far more perceptive than his so-called mother and the teenager was admittedly intrigued.

So, despite his better judgement, and everything he had told himself about severing his ties to the mer-world, Zac opened the door a little bit wider and gestured for the man to come in.

He was fairly certain that he was going to regret this soon enough, and yet he could not find the strength to turn him away.

"You'll need to be gone by the time my parents get home, but I guess we can talk for a little while." He said, folding his arms across his chest as Jon entered the room and looked around.

For a moment, there was silence and Zac watched his newly found relative examine his surroundings. He brushed his fingers across one of Zac's surfing trophies before looking down towards a framed photograph of him and his parents. Jon paused for several seconds and a sad smile crossed his face.

"But, just so you know," Zac added, direction the conversation towards the most pressing matter in hopes that the sight of the photograph would not lead to an emotional outpouring about regrets and missed opportunities. "I am not going to agree to any of Nerissa's crazy schemes. So if you're only here to win me over to her side, then I suggest you go now."

He plopped himself down in the nearest chair and watched as Jon made his way towards the adjacent couch and took a seat. The man offered Zac a small smile and shook his head, apparently somewhat amused.

"It is okay, Zac." He began warmly. "Despite what you might think, I'm not just here as some sort of hostile lackey. And I want to be entirely open and honest with you, if you'll allow it." Zac said nothing and he continued. "Your mother found me a few weeks ago and told me that she had finally located you and your sister which, of course, I was overjoyed to hear. She also told me that she hoped you would both help her reunite our people—which, for the record, is a cause I do support."

Zac let out a scoff and kept his arms tightly folded against his chest. Maybe letting Jon inside had been foolish. He shouldn't have let his curiosity about his father cloud his better judgement.

If the last few days had taught him anything, it was that the fewer mer-people he let into his life, the simpler his life would be…

"But, in my mind, that is entirely secondary." Jon stated, looking up to meet Zac's narrowed eyes. "I may agree with Nerissa's aims but, more than anything, I just wanted to meet you."

The man paused for a moment and he gazed towards the window, as if suddenly lost in thought. Before Zac could cut in, however, he spoke again.

"Like most mermen, I never met my biological mother and rarely saw my biological father. It pained me that I never got to meet you or Mimmi either— but it was simply too dangerous until now. I know you'll probably never see me as a father, and even though that is difficult for me, I am grateful that you were raised by such wonderful parents here. I don't want to interfere with the life you have built, but I could not pass up my chance to see you—my flesh and blood—at least once."

Zac opened and closed his mouth several times after his father had finished. He was searching for the right response, but he found himself taken aback by the man's short speech.

Already, this was entirely different than any other encounter he had had with a merperson. Usually, they insisted on turning his life upside down, and none (with the possible exception of Rita) had ever expressed the empathy or understanding he had just received from Jon. At first, they had wanted to make him human again. Then, they had wanted to rope him into some sort of magical destiny. Mimmi had wanted him to integrate herself into his life, and Nerissa insisted that he had a higher calling. None understood or acknowledged his attachment to the land. In fact, the mermaids always seemed to have difficulty accepting why he wanted to stay on land at all. To them, the sea was the most desirable place to be and they could not comprehend any other way of thinking.

"That's fine, I guess." Zac finally replied, trying to ignore the slight lump he could feel building in his throat.

In truth, he had gone from nonchalant to vulnerable fairly quickly, but he did not want the other merman to know.

He wanted to keep this encounter as formal as possible.

"I suppose I wouldn't mind asking you a few questions. I know almost nothing about you." He stated, his eyes locked resolutely on Jon. "Where are you from, for starters? You sound Australian."

Jon chuckled and nodded towards the dark haired teen. "Yes, I was raised in Australia." He confirmed, leaning back against the couch in a more relaxed position. He appeared to be relieved that Zac had not yet turned him away and seemed interested in talking. "As far as I know, my mother was actually from Indonesia but, like most mermen, I was taken away from her at birth and don't know much more than that."

Zac nodded. Erik had once told him that mermen mated with human women to create offspring, and he wasn't surprised to hear that this was part of his father's story. It was a slight comfort to know that he at least had some human family out there somewhere.

Perhaps his human grandmother was even still alive…

In any event, he was grateful to know about the link, and it certainly explained the slightly Asian features that both he and Jon shared. The more he looked at the man before him, the more resemblances he noticed—in one respect, at least, Nerissa had been right. Zac looked quite a bit like his biological father.

It was eerie, and unnerving, to say that least.

"My father was a merman from the northern coast of Australia, though, and he took me there as an infant to be raised on land in one of the merman orphanages in that region. When I was old enough to know how to hide my identity, I was released into the regular foster system. I lived in about six or seven different homes during the next twelve years—but none of those places were nearly as nice as this." He said, looking around the beach house once again. "Like I said, Zac, I am happy that you had things better than I did growing up."

Zac gave him a soft smile before glancing out the window towards his parents' house. Although he had spent a fair bit of time feeling sorry for himself during the past year, he knew that Jon was right. He had been fortunate to end up with the Blakely's—he'd had a much easier life than either Erik or Jon and he would always be thankful for that.

Sure, the revelations about his true identity had been upsetting and destabilizing. But he would always have his happy childhood to look back on. That was certainly worth something.

"Yeah, things are good here." Zac acknowledged, fidgeting with a stray piece of thread on the chair. "So, did you go off to live in the ocean when you were eighteen, then?" He asked curiously. Erik was the only other merman he had met, and he had to admit that he didn't know much about the typical merman's life. Erik still lived on land, but he was also still in school. Apparently, most merman completed a basic human education, at least. But he wasn't so sure what usually happened next.

Would he be expected to make a home for himself in the sea after he graduated? Would the call of the ocean become too strong to resist by then?

Zac had no idea what to expect.

To his surprise, Jon chuckled again.

"No, of course not." He replied with a smile. Upon seeing the serious look on Zac's face, however, he elaborated. "You haven't met many mermen before, have you? Well, you might be relieved to know that the many live their adult lives on land. Some return to the sea and form small tribes, but countless other chose to live quiet lives by the shore. We still need to swim frequently, of course—and I've spent a few months in the ocean here and there. But after school, I went to the University of Melbourne and now I live just outside of Sydney. I work in a medical supply office there."

Zac stiffened in his chair. It felt as if a bolt of energy had just run through him and he turned towards his father, his eyes wide with surprise. It shocked him to think that his father had been so close this entire time, living a seemingly normal life.

"What? Really?"

The older man smiled. "Yes, really." He replied patiently. "You've clearly been hanging around too many mermaids." He stated with a small wink. "Almost all mermaids stay in the sea, and they need moon rings to even acquire legs. But since mermen have human mothers, we can change at will when we're dry. Plus we're raised to be familiar with land, even if we decide not to stay on it."

Zac let out a quiet "hmm" sound before drawing several slow breaths.

This was certainly a big, and very welcomed, revelation for him and he could not supress the smile on his face. For the first time in weeks, he felt as if he had received some good news. The mermaids constantly talked about the ocean, and the lives they had left behind with the pod—and Zac had always assumed that he would one day be drawn into that sort of world, no matter how hard he resisted.

Nerissa's appearance had strengthened those fears and, by now, he was used to Mimmi talking about all of the adventures they would have in the ocean "one day."

He didn't hate the ocean, of course. There was no way he could. And he was willing to admit that he felt most comfortable when he was swimming in the open water. Despite his desire to be normal, and the all of the times he had heatedly proclaimed that he wanted to be human again, he knew that deep down he would not have felt complete without his tail.

But, at the same time, he wanted some degree of what he considered normalcy. He wanted to be part of two worlds, not one or the other—and it sounded as if Jon had achieved that sort of balance.

"I wasn't sure if any of that was possible." Zac admitted sheepishly, averting his gaze down to the floor. He felt a bit foolish for letting his worries overtake him—Jon probably thought that living a dual life was easy and obvious—but Zac had never been told that.

Even though he had been a merman for over a year, he was still figuring a lot of things out. He'd had no idea what his future held.

"I mean, I grew up thinking I was human." He began again. "And when I found out I wasn't, everything suddenly seemed so uncertain. I didn't know if living the sort of life I envisioned was an option anymore. It's a relief to hear that it is."

Jon smiled before leaning forward to pat his hand reassuringly. "You can live your life however you would like, Zac." He said comfortingly. "I imagine finding out that you're a merman must have been difficult at your age, but it doesn't have to be a curse. You get to experience the ocean more deeply than any human, but you can do most human things as well. It's not so bad, trust me."

Zac nodded, his mind flickering back towards something he had been thinking about earlier.

"Do you have any other kids?" He asked, his voice slightly more hesitant than before. "Another family?"

He wasn't completely certain if he wanted to know the answer to that. It would hurt a bit to know that his father had moved on and replaced he and Mimmi—but, on the other hand, if he didn't have a family of his own it might mean that it wasn't something mermen were allowed to do.

"No, I don't." Jon replied. "It isn't unheard of." He added, perhaps seeing the look of worry on Zac's face. "But your mother is the only woman I have ever loved. Even though our time together was short, I knew that she was my match. Initially, we both hoped that we would find a way to be together without the mermaid or merman councils finding out—they would have killed us both if they had learned about our relationship."

Zac cringed. As angry as he was at Nerissa, he was happy to know that his biological parents had been in love and it sickened him to think about why they had been driven apart.

If it hadn't been for the stupid war…for all of those silly rules…

Zac shook his head. What was done was done, and his life would have been very different if they had been able to stay a family. He would never have met the Blakely's, for a start. And he probably wouldn't have met Evie or his friends either. He hated the thought of changing any of that now.

But, in principle, the reason for his parents' separation was unjust. And that was upsetting.

"But we never found a way." The older man continued with a sigh. "Both councils suspected that something was going on and I was forced to go into hiding. That's why your mother wasn't able to find me when she had you—and that's why I didn't even know about you guys until several years later when she finally managed to get a message to me. I wish I could have been there, done more, but…"

"It's okay." Zac cut in, not wanting to hear the man go down a path of regret. "Like you said, I got lucky and I grew up happy. I know it wasn't your fault and I don't blame you for not raising us."

Jon paused and ran a hand through his dark hair. Zac had the sense that he wanted to say something, but wasn't quite sure if he should.

After another moment, he spoke.

"But…you do blame Nerissa?"

The teenager flinched as soon as the older man spoke and his mind began to race as he contemplated an answer. He could understand why Jon had posed the question—after all, Zac had just professed that he didn't fault his father for not being around, and recognized that the circumstances had been out of his control. But, if Jon had spoken to Nerissa (which he clearly had), then he knew that their meeting had not gone well and that Zac had not indicated any hint of forgiveness during that conversation.

For a moment, Zac wondered if he was contradicting himself. Was it fair to blame Nerissa for abandoning him, and yet absolve Jon of all guilt?

But, he told himself, the situations were not exactly the same. Nerissa had been fully aware of what she was doing. She had held her children in her arms, and then left them—left him—in the care of strangers on the other side of the world. She had stripped him of his identity and his birthright, and let him grow up believing that he was a normal boy.

She was the reason his life had become a confusing mess. His father had very little to do with any of that.

And yet…

As this conversation had reminded him, both of his biological parents had been forced into situations against their wills—simply for being in love and conceiving him and Mimmi. Any way you spun it, it simply wasn't fair and it highlighted the stupidity of merpeople's laws and prejudices.

If he was being entirely honest, Zac wasn't sure what he would have done if he had been faced with Nerissa's choice. She could have kept him, and risked death for them all—or she could have given him a safe life far from the chaos his birth had created.

Neither was an appealing option for a parent and he did not envy her for having to make that choice.

Despite all of that, however, he could not ignore the ball of anger that still formed within him every time he heard her name. A small part of him was beginning to think that it was irrational, but he simply wasn't ready to fully entertain that option. No matter what Jon said.

"It's different." He muttered, his eyes locked resolutely on the floor. "And I don't want to talk about it."

He heard Jon give a small sigh, but much to his relief, the man did not press him further.

"Very well." He conceded, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. "I do hope you'll spend more time thinking things through, but I can see how this must be very overwhelming right now. I am sincerely sorry that things have played out this way, and I wish it could have been easier on you."

Zac shrugged and tried his best to look nonchalant.

"I know what it is like to want to live your life on land." Jon continued, his brown eyes staring at his son pointedly. "And I am not here to tell you who you should forgive, and what your future should be. But—"

The boy cut him off with a loud huff.

There was always a "but" and he wasn't sure if he was in the mood to hear it. He was grateful, again, for the empathy—and he could tell that that man could relate, at least to some extent, to his struggle to balance two worlds. And yet he knew that Jon would not leave him in peace until he made him face the situation at hand.

Maybe all mer-people really were the same. They all seemed to be obsessed with grand plans and epic destinies.

"But," Jon started again, his voice firmer than before. "There are certain things in life that no one can control. Like it or not, our family line has always played an important part in the affairs of the ocean and, because of your lineage, you are a very powerful merman, Zac."

The boy opened his mouth to retort but his guest continued before he could let out a snarky reply.

"You _can_ live the sort of life you want—you can be who you want to be, love who you want to love…but there are still certain, vital, obligations that you cannot escape. You and Mimmi have a very important role to play. You're the only ones who can end this silly war and make sure that families, like ours, never have to live in fear and danger again. You can finally allow mermaids and mermen to live in peace, without fear, without war, without unnecessary death." He leaned forward and clasped his hands, as if pleading for understanding. "I know you don't want this, and I know you're scared, but I also know that you can do it and I know that, deep down, you'll regret it if you don't."

As Jon spoke, Zac felt the all-too-familiar swell of anger grow inside of him. Sure, this conversation had started off well enough—but it had clearly taken a much dreaded turn.

The man claimed that he wasn't there to be Nerissa's lackey, but he had just regurgitated everything she had said to him last night. He was sick of all the cryptic nonsense and his patience had worn thin.

Letting Jon in, and letting down his guard, had been a mistake.

"That's enough!" Zac proclaimed loudly, standing up from his seat and throwing back his arms in frustration. "I've heard all of this gibberish from HER already, and I don't need to hear it again!"

He drew a deep breath in an attempt to gain some composure. Despite his annoyance he still didn't want his "father" to see him lose control.

"I need you to get out. Now."

He could see Jon tense but, unfortunately, the man did not move.

"Zac, please." He tried again. "I could spare you from this, but it _has _to be you. Our family created the merman chamber, our ancestor hid the trident…we have a duty to take on the burden of leadership once more and—"

"Just stop!" Zac cut in, unable to listen for a second longer. "I've had enough! I told Nerissa, I told Mimmi and now I am telling you: I am NOT interested in getting involved with this mess. I hope everything works out for you guys, but this is not my fight!"

"I'm sorry, Zac, but it is. You—"

"God, what part of "stop" don't you understand?" He snapped, cutting Jon off before he could finish his sentence. "You people need to take a bloody hint and leave me alone. I'm finished."

"You have to trust me, Zac. I don't want to take you away from your life or your family, but we need your help." Jon began again stubbornly, clearly not taking the not-so-subtle hint.

The man stood up as he spoke this time and Zac jolted back as he approached with his arm outstretched. There was no way in hell that he was going to let this man get any closer and there was no way in hell he was going to let him touch him.

Zac meant what he said and if Jon wasn't willing to leave then there was only one other option.

Glancing frantically around the room, the boy spied a glass of water on his desk and gestured towards it. On his command, the water flew across the room and splashed against Jon's side.

It wasn't much, but Zac knew that it would buy him time.

The logical part of mind told him to run right away—to get as much of a head start as possible. But something else made him want to stay.

Just for a moment.

He needed to see…

Jon let out a whispered "No" as he realized what his son had done and he looked up at the teen with a combination of sadness and anger on his face.

Zac almost felt bad but he pushed back the feeling as quickly as possible.

The man raised his arm once more and began to take a step but, before his foot reached the ground the magic overcame him. Jon crumpled to the floor, his powerful blue tail slapping against the wood as he fell.

He looked so helpless.

Stranded.

And Zac found it harder to be convinced by his statement that he could lead a normal life now that he lay before him with his freakishness on full display. He wondered if all of Jon's words were lies, designed to manipulate him into a false sense of security and lure him into Nerissa's world.

Zac took a shaky step back towards the door. Jon had pushed himself into a sitting position Zac knew that he should begin his escape. It was only a matter of time before the water dried. But, for some reason, he found himself unable to tear his eyes away.

Although he had swum with Erik several times, he had never seen _himself_ in merman form (after all, mirrors were not common on the ocean floor). As he looked down at Jon, he found himself wondering if this was more or less how he appeared. Like it or not, he bore a striking resemblance to the man and he was particularly struck by their similarities now.

The face, the eyes, the build.

The muscular blue tail…

It was like starring at an older version of himself and it unnerved him greatly.

A wave of nausea passed through him.

"You don't need to leave, Zac." He heard Jon say, his voice surprisingly calm for someone who had just been caught off-guard with a forced transformation. "We can still talk. Or we can go for a swim, if you prefer."

Zac took another step towards he door, taken aback by the lump that was now building in his throat. He wasn't exactly sure what he was feeling, or why his anger had turned into…something else…so suddenly.

What the hell was wrong with him?

He didn't want to be part of this. He didn't care about these strangers who were trying to interfere with his life.

It was as simple as that.

"No. I can't. I won't…it's not me…"

He hated how much he stuttered, and how nervous he suddenly felt.

And, more than anything, he hated how difficult it was becoming to believe his own words.

As he looked down at the merman before him—the merman who looked so much like _him_— he knew that his denial was in vain.

_This was him_.

And there truly was no escape.

Zac backed against the doorframe. The image of he and Jon in the water flickered briefly through his mind and he felt an unwelcomed prickling sensation behind his eyes. It was something he never imagined—swimming through the open sea with the father he didn't know he missed, their tails creating waves behind them as they went.

He felt foolish for wanting that.

He _hated_ that he wanted that.

And yet the thought filled him with so much yearning.

"I have to go." Zac choked out, finally stepping onto the patio of his beach house. He could hear the roar of the ocean in his ears, and he could see his future on display before him.

But, despite all of the overwhelming thoughts and emotions that were swirling inside of him, he knew that he wasn't ready.

He needed more time.

With one final glance at the man he had never expected to meet, Zac turned and ran inland.


	5. Chapter 5

"I am guessing that your conversation did not go well?"

Jon let out a small chuckle as he looked down at the mermaid who had recently arrived to check in on his progress.

After he had managed to regain his legs he had slowly made his way to an abandoned dock, not too far from Zac's place. He and Nerissa had agreed to meet there at nightfall and, sure enough, she had arrived right on time. Although her face had been full of hope and optimism when she had surfaced, a quick glance at his grim expression had quickly changed that. Nerissa had always had good instincts and she had always been able to read him like a book.

She knew that he had not managed to make a breakthrough.

"That's a bit of an understatement." The merman admitted, carefully pulling his legs towards him to avoid being splashed by the rising tides.

Although he had not expected an easy reunion, Zac's hostility and actions had taken him a bit aback. He had been especially shocked when his son had telekinetically splashed him with water to render him temporarily immobile and it made him both sad and angry to think that the boy would resort to that simply to get away from him.

Perhaps they had both underestimated how traumatic this entire experience was for their son. To be honest, Jon could see why Zac felt that Nerissa did not understand why this was difficult for him. As Jon had said during their conversation, most mermaids could not conceive of the desire to build a life on land and Nerissa, while more perceptive than most, was no exception to this. But, naïvely perhaps, Jon had thought that he would be able to empathize and reach out.

After all, he too had been raised on land and had spent his own teenage years grappling with his secret identity. Granted, he had known he was a merman his entire life—but important parallels still seemed to exist.

Despite Zac's hesitation and hostility, Jon still hoped that some of what he had said had gotten through. Perhaps Zac would feel some sort of connection once the shock of their encounter had worn off.

Things had not gone well, and he wasn't sure if they would be able to get through to him in time…but, maybe one day, he would be able to reach out again. As important as the prophecy and the chance for unity was, he still saw that as secondary to building a relationship with the children he had never been allowed to know.

"What happened?" Nerissa asked gently, resting her arms on the dock as she stared intently at her former lover. "Did he refuse to listen?"

"Not exactly." Jon replied, wishing that he could put a comforting hand on her wet shoulder without being forced to transform. "He let me into the house for a bit, and he seemed open to discussion. To some extent, at least. But as soon as I mentioned Mako and the red moon, he completely shut down."

Nerissa nodded, clearly not too surprised by this summary of events. As Jon knew, her own conversation with Zac had taken a similar route and he had made it quite clear that he was not interested in helping them with their cause.

The man glanced out towards the darkening ocean for a moment, listening as the waves lapped gently against the dock. It looked so calm. So peaceful. But Jon let out a quiet sigh as he contemplated how looks could be so incredibly deceiving.

As he knew all too well, centuries of tension and hostility lurked beneath the docile waves. And, without some sort of dramatic intervention, this hostility showed no signs of abating.

Looking back down towards Nerissa, it struck him that even having a quiet conversation with the mother of his children was considered an act of treason by both sides of the divide. Although it would not have seemed like it to any rational onlooker, they were both taking a huge risk right now and could be severely (perhaps fatally) punished if caught.

In Jon's mind, that was absolutely absurd. Sure, humans had their fair share of prejudice and injustice—but even they would see this severe form of gender separation as completely inhumane. His upbringing on land, and his familiarity with human customs, made the conventions of the mer-world even harder for him to understand.

As a general rule, mermen (due to their land-based upbringings) were generally less doctrinaire about the mer-people divide. They were all told from an early age to avoid mermaids for their own safety, so most were wary for the females of their species— but they did not tend to be as openly hostile towards them. And in Jon's case, knowing that he was a descendant of the merman who had locked away the trident in an attempt to bring peace made him even more inclined to reject this silly feud.

He had never really understood the fear and aggression and he had been grateful to meet a mermaid who agreed with his stance. Although their time together had been short, Nerissa had been his saving grace during a period of internal turmoil.

Jon had realized in his teenage years that being a merman in the current situation was a recipe for dysfunction. They were told to live by two main rules: 1. Don't reveal yourself to humans and 2. Don't interact with mermaids.

The first rule meant that meaningful relationships with human women was difficult (they happened, of course, but once a male offspring was born it was common practice to take the mer-child away and rid her of any memories of their encounter). And the second decree ruled out relationships with those who were their natural match as well.

They were raised on land, and watched as those around them coupled off, got married, had children…but it was almost impossible for them to do the same in a normal, loving, way.

Some mermen he had met were not troubled by this fact of life, but Jon had always known what he desired. Perhaps it meant that he was a sentimental fool, condemned to a life of unhappiness—but he had wanted a partner. He had wanted children he could actually nurture and raise.

For a brief time, it had seemed that Nerissa was the answer to his prayers. A beautiful mermaid who wasn't afraid or hostile—and who didn't mind spending a bit of time on land with him as well. But their encounter had been over far too quickly. As soon as the councils had found out, they had both known that they faced a choice between separation or death.

In retrospect, Jon wondered if they should have fought harder. If he had known that she was pregnant with twins at the time, perhaps he would have. Maybe they could have moved inland somewhere, surviving off of artificial water in some desert, far from the prying eyes of the mer-elite.

It would have been an unpleasant environment, but at least they could have been together. All four of them.

As a family.

Jon gave a small sigh as he tried to push the thought from his mind. That ship had long since sailed and there was not much point in dwelling on what might have been.

It made much more sense to focus on the situation at hand. They had found their son and daughter, and they had a chance to change things for the better. It might have been too late for them, but future generations might have a shot at the happiness they had lost if they managed to set things right.

He wanted that for his people.

And, more than anything, he wanted that for his children.

Zac and Mimmi deserved to love who they wanted to love. To be who they wanted to be. They just needed to make Zac see how critical his participation was.

"It's okay, darling. Don't be too hard on yourself." Nerissa's voice snapped him out of his daze and he gave her a small smile.

"Thanks." He replied quietly, still unable to quash the feeling that he had failed. "I just don't know how else we can get through to him. I don't think he truly sees himself as a merman yet, and he wants to stay as far removed from the situation as possible. No matter how many times we apologize, no matter how many times well tell him how important this is, no matter how much we love him…we can't change his identity or how much he cares. And we only have two weeks left…"

Nerissa looked down at the weather worn wood and gave a small nod. "I know." She began, a hint of sadness in her voice. "I don't know if we can convince him in time either, but we also can't give up. This is too important and I do have faith that he will see that one day." The mermaid paused and briefly glanced out towards the sea. "We have Mimmi on our side." She noted. "And I told her to meet us in the moon pool tonight."

Jon's heart swelled at the mention of his daughter. He was anxious, and excited, to finally meet her—and his earlier conversations with Nerissa had indicated that she would be far more receptive than Zac. She had grown up as a mermaid with the Mako pod and had not been faced with as many life changing revelations as her brother during the past year.

"When?" Jon asked, tempted to dive in and make his way towards the pool as quickly as possible. He couldn't wait to see her. To finally hold his little girl in his arms and tell her how much he had missed her.

He had wanted that ever since he had found out about the twins nearly ten years ago, and it was hard to believe that the moment had almost arrived.

"Not for a few hours." The woman replied. "She needed to take care of a few other things first, and I wasn't sure when you would be finished talking to Zac."

Body buzzing with anticipation, Jon nodded back. It seemed torturous to wait even a few hours, but he knew that the reunion would be well worth it.

"We could go for a swim to pass the time." Nerissa suggested, reaching her damp hand out towards him. "Like old times."

An instant smile crossed his face as his mind drifted back nearly two decades to a time when things had seemed so much simpler. They had spent months together in the sea back then—laughing, talking, enjoying the deep blue, hand-in-hand. She had been exploring the oceans of the world, and he had been intrigued by the stunning northern mermaid he had unexpectedly come across on his usual morning swim. She hadn't swum away when she saw him—in fact, she had initiated a conversation and they had hit it off very quickly. He had shown her his favorite spots on the gold coast and, eventually, she had taken on human form for the first time so that he could show her his home on land.

It had been a wonderful time. Almost dream-like. And, despite its abrupt end, he had remembered it fondly ever since.

He had meant what he had said to Zac: Nerissa was the only woman he had ever loved and the only person he had ever wanted to spend his life with.

Unfortunately, that was easier said than done. For now, at least.

"I think that is exactly what I need right now." Jon agreed before taking her hand and agilely manoeuvering himself into the water. There was a small splash and he kicked his legs a couple of times before the transformation finally took hold.

As disillusioned as he was with the mer-world right now, he had to admit that floating in the calm ocean beside the mermaid he would always love filled him with a joy he had not felt in a long time. His life had been mundane for so long and he had spent so many years yearning for a return to this.

To her.

Things were still far from perfect, but Jon finally felt a glimmer of hope. His love was at his side, his daughter was near…and, despite the remaining challenges, he had finally seen his son.

"I know it is hard." Nerissa whispered, her golden tail brushing lightly against his blue as they hung near the quiet dock. "But we can do this. We can have a second chance."

No longer able to resist, Jon looped his arm around her narrow waist and pulled her close. "I never stopped loving you." He said softly, his brown eyes meeting her enticing blue. "And I never will."

The mermaid smiled. "I love you too." She replied.

And with that, he drew her into a deep, passionate kiss.

Perhaps the plan would fail, and perhaps they would be driven apart once more.

But for now, at least, he was grateful to have one more perfect moment.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

He had run until his legs could take no more. At first, he had not known where he was going—all he had cared about was getting away from the beach house.

Getting away from his "father."

And that had taken him to a secluded patch of rocky beach just outside of the down. Annoyed that he had gravitated back towards the sea, but still feeling quite certain that no one would look for him there, Zac had finally allowed himself to rest for a couple of hours in the shade of a nearby tree. For a while, he had done his best to keep his mind blank but that had proved impossible. He didn't want to think about Jon or what he had said and yet he still couldn't stop. It was incredibly overwhelming to picture the man who reminded him so much of himself.

Reminded him of who he was _supposed_ to be.

Seeing echoes of familiarity in Mimmi and Nerissa had been weird enough. He supposed most adopted children who later met their birth families probably felt the same way. But his resemblance to his biological father had been even more striking—and even more disconcerting.

"_You've grown into such a handsome young merman, just like your father." _

Now that he had met the man, it was even harder to dismiss Nerissa's words. And even harder to dismiss who, and what, he was.

It wasn't just the physical similarities that had struck him. It was the shared experiences too. Growing up on land, living with land people, going to school, having a life…on the one hand, it had been reassuring to hear that all of those things were still possible, despite the revelations about his origins.

But it also made it harder to run from the truth.

He had once thought that his desire for a life on land set him apart from regular mer-people and he had reasoned that he could never truly be like "them." Almost all of the mermaids he knew thought land people were weird and even Serina (who had fallen for a land-boy) was afraid of the prospect of a long-term life on land.

But Jon's story made it clear that Zac was not atypical. Many mermen wanted what he wanted. And almost all of them had been raised in a similar way.

He wasn't a "land-boy at heart" who happened to have unfortunate biological origins.

He was a _merman_ who faced the same struggles that many of his kind were forced to grapple with.

Struggles that were largely a result of the silly feud between the two halves of his species. If there hadn't been a war, then he never would have been torn between two worlds. His identity never would have had to be a secret and he wouldn't have had to deal with the shocking revelations of the past several months. He wouldn't have to worry about Veridia and the mermaid council wanting him dead…

Now that things had happened the way they did he did not, of course, wish that he had never grown up here. Even though he was still mad at his parents for lying to him about his adoption, he loved them deeply and hated the thought of not having them around. But it was hard not to get angry about the overall injustice of the situation.

With a deep sigh, Zac began to fidget with a small shell that had been lying near his feet. It was a perfectly formed specimen and, for some reason, it reminded him of the sort of shell that Lyla liked to weave into her golden hair.

Lyla.

Oddly enough, during the past few hours the thought of his departed friend had been the only thing that had proved capable of distracting him from the more pressing matter at hand.

He had thought of her fairly often since she had left but, interestingly, she crossed his mind more when he was in a period of crisis. He supposed it made sense. When this ordeal had started she, more than anyone, had been there to guide and reassure him. Sure, he had been pissed when he had discovered that the girls were all mermaids too—but, even after their fight, Lyla had proven herself to be a loyal friend.

She had been the first one to take his hand and help him embrace the beauty and complexity of the ocean. She had been the first one to make him feel truly comfortable in his new skin (or rather, scales). It had been hard to see her go and no one, not even Mimmi or Evie, had filled the void that she had left.

It wasn't something he talked about openly, especially when his girlfriend was around. And quite frankly he felt guilty, and a bit confused, for missing her as much as he did. Sure, she and Lyla had made amends but the tension between them had never quite faded. Secretly, he had suspected that Evie was part of the reason why Lyla had been so keen to go. He wasn't entirely sure what had been going on…and to be honest, he had never been sure how to interpret the feelings he had felt towards her.

He loved Evie. Of course he did. And she had been patient and loyal throughout his entire ordeal. He couldn't have asked for anything more.

And yet he often found himself wanting to talk to Lyla when things got rough. He had thought about her a lot when he had first discovered the truth about his past. He had been certain that she would have given him the right balance of sympathy and encouragement and he had wished that she had been there.

Now, he wished that she was there once more.

Mimmi was too invested in the current situation to have an impartial discussion—she would just tell him (again) to simply forgive their mother and take up his role as a leader of their people. Evie had no idea what was going on and, despite her recent transformation, knew even less than he did about mer-people politics. She wouldn't understand the situation and he had been avoiding her texts and calls for the last twenty-four hours.

She may have had a tail now, but Evie had never been like the others.

Had never been like him…

She didn't crave seafood or get anxious when she stayed out of the water all day. Evie wanted to be normal and, unlike him, she had the option of leaving it all behind.

Leaving him behind…

She fully intended to become human again on the anniversary of her change and he knew that she would not change her mind.

This truly wasn't her world and Zac had no idea how she would react to his parents' sudden arrival or the drama that was currently unfolding.

Plus, he reminded himself, there were still Mimmi's proclamations from yesterday to deal with. He dreaded telling her what would happen if she had children with a merman. With _him_. But it felt like a conversation that they would have to have sooner or later. The thought filled him with anxiety, and he feared that even mentioning children at all would scare her away. But, on the other hand, it seemed unfair to keep that sort of information from her.

She deserved to know what she was getting herself into.

For a moment, he found himself wondering if life would be simpler if he had fallen for a mermaid instead. It would be silly to leave someone for the sake of simplicity, he reasoned—he and Evie had already been through so much, and he was sure that they were capable of facing the challenges that lay ahead.

And yet…

If he was being truthful, he hated the thought of her changing back. He knew that it was selfish. Extremely selfish. And he wished that he could support her decisions no matter what.

But having her swim at his side, hand in hand, tail to tail…it meant more to him than he wanted to acknowledge. He had been secretly thrilled when she had become a mermaid and, although the revelation was uncomfortable, he had discovered that he was most enticed by her when she was in the sea.

Despite the fact that he still tried to see himself as a land boy, his changing…preferences…had been one recent development that made that façade difficult to maintain. Land girls were still appealing and alluring, of course. But, first and foremost, he was attracted to mermaids. No amount of anger or denial could overcome basic biological instinct, he supposed.

There was no way in hell he was going to admit any of that to Evie, however. He wanted her to make her own decisions, and not blame him for making her hesitate or holding her back. She knew what was best for her and she knew what sort of life she wanted. Zac loved her too much to deny her that.

But all of it did make him wonder what the future held. And once more—uncomfortably, inevitably—his mind drifted back to Lyla.

He did his best, as always, not to think of her _like that_. He was not a dishonest guy, and he did not want to betray Evie—even with his thoughts. But, right now, he could not deny that Lyla was the one he wanted to talk to most of all. For some reason, he knew that she would be able to calm him down and help him think through everything as logically as possible.

Zac needed someone he trusted.

Someone he cared about.

And someone who understood him.

Face set with determination, he looked towards the deceptively calm waves.

He wasn't sure of much, nowadays. But at this moment, he knew where he needed to go.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As the sun set, Veridia watched as three of her most loyal supporters dove beneath the surface, ready to complete the mission he had assigned them.

She knew them well, and she knew that they would not fail.

It was only a matter of time, she mused with a smile, until the son and daughter of Nerissa would be cowering before her. Begging for mercy…

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A/N As always, please let me know what you think and if you want more. I hope Zac's musings were okay. I like Zac/Evie, but I think Zyla works better. This will not turn into a romance, but there will be more hints of it.

Fictionlover94—sorry to say that there will be no H2O cameos here. I've only seen a few episodes and am not crazy about it. For some reason, Mako drew me in way more.


	6. Chapter 6

He knew that he was taking a silly risk but Zac also had a feeling that he was due for a bit of luck.

Mimmi had been teaching him how to trust his instincts during the past several months and, although he had initially resisted the idea of embracing his new "powerful northern merman" status, he was now grateful that he had listened to her advice.

"_If you close your eyes and clear your mind, you should be able to sense whoever you seek." _

Her words had rung in his ears as he dove into the ocean and he recklessly forged ahead, trying his best to think of nothing but Lyla. He had been tempted to try this "sensing" power before, and he knew that both Mimmi and Nerissa had made use of it in the past, but he had never really pushed himself to actually experiment with it until that evening.

As a general rule, he had been trying to avoid using his powers— using them made the whole situation seem much too real and made him feel like even more of a freak. But, in this moment of crisis, he was able to ignore the implications of what he was doing. He needed to talk to Lyla, plain and simple.

And he was willing to use any means at his disposal to get to her.

It was foolish, really, to swim that far from shore knowing full well that many members of the Mako pod were extremely hostile towards him and would not hesitate to drag him in front of the council if given the chance. He also knew that Lyla was travelling with a small group of others and it would probably be difficult to get her alone. He wasn't worried about Nixie, of course, but he had no idea who the others might be or how they would react to the appearance of a merman. (If he had to guess, he'd say 'not favourably').

But he tried to push those fears to the back of his mind as he swam ahead at full speed. He knew that it was important to keep his head as clear and focused as possible…he could deal with any other challenges as they arose.

As Zac continued south he could feel a strange tingling sensation growing within in. He wasn't exactly sure how to interpret it, but he was pretty sure that it meant he was on the right track.

Forward.

Lyla.

Forward.

Lyla.

The young merman pushed ahead, almost frantically, until a sudden overwhelming tingle stopped him in his tracks. He froze in place, blinking several times to adjust his vision to his surroundings.

As he looked around, heart pounding rapidly in his chest, he could see that he was near some sort of small pacific island. It was much smaller and much more barren than Mako, but it was still a fairly beautiful sight to behold. He did not linger on it long, however—there were far more pressing matters at hand.

He could not yet see any mermaids in the area but, as a precaution, he made himself invisible before moving ahead. One could never be too safe in the current circumstances.

His body was still tingling and he was convinced that she was near. He kept his head above the water, his ears straining for any signs of life around the coast. It was unfortunate that the sun had set nearly an hour ago and it was difficult to see more than a few hundred metres in front of him.

Slowly, Zac swam closer to the small island, senses on high alert. After several minutes of fruitless searching he began to contemplate going a bit further south—but the sound of a small splash quickly changed his mind. Whipping around, Zac turned to see a solitary blonde head bobbing in the water near a small cluster of rocks.

Even though the figure had its back turned to him, he instantly knew that it was _her_.

Excited, and nervous, Zac quickly swam towards her, lowering his invisibility as he approached. Luckily, there did not seem to be any other mermaids around and he was optimistic that they would have a least a bit of time to reunite in peace.

"Lyla."

His voice was softer than he intended, but his sudden bout of nerves prevented him from presenting a stronger greeting.

She whipped around quickly, her blue eyes widening in shock as she realized who had spoken. It was quite clear from the look on her face that she had not been expecting to see him any time soon. He could also tell, however, that she was not displeased by his arrival.

As soon as her initial surprise wore off, she darted towards him and wrapped him in a tight hug.

"Zac!" She proclaimed, brimming with excitement. "I wasn't…I never…wow!"

The boy chuckled. It was unusual to see Lyla speechless and he was secretly pleased that he had managed to fluster her. He also had to admit that it felt good—and comforting—to feel her arms around him. Zac tried, unsuccessfully, to ignore the pleasant way their tails instinctively intertwined as they embraced.

Evie had never embraced him when they were both in mer-form. She had never been comfortable with her transformation and had always drawn away, embarrassed, when their tails had accidently touched. Lyla, however, had no such reservations. As a natural born mermaid she was used to being in this form and did not flinch when his scales brushed lightly against her own.

He felt a blush creep across his cheeks as he thought about how it felt to be pressed up against her and he reluctantly pulled away.

It felt good, natural, and strangely intimate to be that close to another merperson. But, as much as he desired it, he knew that it wasn't right.

It wasn't fair to Evie, and he refused to let his mind drift any further in that direction. Merman instincts be damned.

"I'm sorry if I scared you." Zac said, clearing his throat before flashing his friend a wide smile. "I know I probably shouldn't be here but…" He paused, wondering how much she had heard from the gossip of the pod. "So much has happened, and I felt like I was going to explode if I didn't find someone to talk to."

Lyla smiled back and gave him an understanding nod. It was odd, perhaps, but even that small gesture filled him with a greater sense of calm than he had felt in days.

He had always thought that Lyla had a grace and confidence to her that helped others around her feel safe. She was (usually) calm and straightforward, which he greatly appreciated and desired in times of turmoil.

This was exactly what he needed right now.

"Luckily, the others are off gathering prawns." The mermaid noted as she moved back towards the rock formation with a flick of her tail. "They should be gone for at least another hour. Why don't we take a seat here? It's more comfortable than it looks."

Feeling relieved that he wasn't in imminent danger of being discovered by the other mermaids, he followed Lyla to the nearest ledge and took a seat across from her. She was right—it was a comfortable spot and he was grateful for a place to rest his tail after a couple of hours of swimming.

"So..." He began again, feeling somewhat awkward as he locked eyes with the beautiful mermaid before him. "How has the search been going? Is this going to be the pod's new home?" He gestured towards the small island.

Lyla shrugged and shook her head. "It's a decent possibility." She said, letting out a small sigh. "But it's not ideal. The water is pretty deep here, and there aren't a lot of places to easily forage for food. Plus…"

"Nothing will ever be as good as Mako?" Zac guessed, cutting her off in mid-sentence. Over the past year, he had seen how important the island was to the southern mermaids and he had a feeling that they would not settle on a new home easily.

In his humble opinion, there was no reason for them to search for a new home at all. It seemed ridiculous to abandon a place simply because one or two mermen happened to live nearby. He knew that Lyla agreed, but had taken the opportunity to redeem herself with the pod by joining the search. He had been annoyed when she had told him what she and Nixie had decided to do. But, once he had calmed down, he'd realized that he couldn't really blame them for wanting to return to their friends and family. He probably would have done the same, even if he disagreed with those he loved.

The whole situation was still unfortunate, though. And, for the umpteenth time that day, he wondered how bringing unity to the mer-world might change the situation. If the cold war ended, then the pod could return to Mako.

_Lyla_ could return to Mako.

It was an appealing thought.

"Mako will always be home." Lyla agreed with a sad smile. "And believe me, I've tried telling countless people that we shouldn't be afraid of mermen. Especially you. But we mermaids can be stubborn. It is hard to overcome centuries of fear and tradition."

Zac shifted uncomfortably. He had meant to keep the conversation about her and her recent adventures, at least for a little bit—but it was already leading towards a discussion of the choice he now found himself faced with.

Unity really would change everything…

Probably for the better.

But he still hated that he had to be the one to take the reins. It simply didn't feel like his fight, and he had no desire to be a leader of any kind. Why couldn't Nerissa find someone else?

"I hear your life has been even more eventful than mine lately." Lyla noted, quickly changing the subject. Her eyebrow was raised knowingly and Zac had a feeling that the news about his origins had spread quickly through the pod.

He let out a bitter chuckle.

"Sure, I guess." He conceded, averting his eyes down towards the water. Even in the darkness of the night he could see his bright blue tail, shimmering in the soft light of the moon. He flicked it gently, as if to confirm that it truly was a part of his body.

"What have you heard?" He asked.

"That Mimmi is your twin sister." She began plainly, still looking towards him. "Which makes you the son of Nerissa and a powerful natural-born merman."

Zac shrugged his shoulders, trying to appear nonchalant. Truth be told, even though he had been faced with the truth months ago, it always jarred him when people laid it out so bluntly. It was especially weird to hear Lyla say it—when they had last spoke, they had both believed that he was a land-boy. Things had been so much simpler back then. They were mermaids, from a whole different world, and he was just a regular guy who had accidentally been given special abilities.

There had been a clear distinction between him and them. But now, everything had changed.

He could see it in her eyes. He had seen it in her eyes the moment he had faced her.

Lyla, like everyone he knew, looked at him differently now.

But, unlike most of the others, she did not convey a sense of pity, fear or caution. Instead, she seemed…happy. Impressed. And, perhaps, a tiny bit smug.

"Yup, not a land-boy after all. Apparently." He replied dolefully, trying to keep his voice steady.

To his surprise, her face instantly broke into a wide grin. "I knew it!" She exclaimed with much more excitement than he anticipated. "I mean, I didn't actually know it, but I had a feeling. It was all too…coincidental." He looked towards her, confused, and she continued. "I mean, if everything that happened was just an accident, then it would probably happen a lot more often. Lots of people camp on Mako, but the vast majority don't go into a trance, walk into a cave, and fall magically into the moon pool. I thought there had to be something different about you. Plus you mastered your powers so quickly, and you always had such a natural connection to the sea. I could sense it every time we swam together. I've never seen a land person look at the ocean the way you do. Only merpeople are capable of that degree of love and desire for it."

Despite his astonishment at her proclamations, Zac let out a short laugh. He loved it when she got excited and started talking a mile a minute. It reminded him of old times and it was comforting to be in her presence again.

"Are you serious?" He asked, raising an eyebrow of his own. "Why didn't you say anything before? It would have been nice to have a warning. The night…the night I found out was a huge shock. Veridia tried to kill me, Rita told me who I was and Mimmi was instantly convinced that it was all true. Maybe if I had heard about your suspicions, it would have been easier to take."

He wasn't mad at her. Not at all. In fact, it was oddly reassuring to hear that she had seen him for what he was before anyone else. Maybe the entire thing hadn't been as far-fetched as he had thought.

And clearly, Lyla could read him better than he could read himself. Coming to her when he needed advice definitely seemed like the right thing to do.

Lyla looked towards him, still smiling. "I guess I should have." She admitted. "But I figured no one would believe me. And it was just a hunch." The mermaid paused, surveying him intently. "Plus, not even I knew exactly who you were. I never could have guessed that you were _Nerissa's _son."

Zac frowned as she said the name he was trying to ignore. He hated that she had said it with such emphasis, too. He wasn't sure why all mermaids revered the woman so much—he had met her and, in his opinion, she wasn't all that great.

Quite the opposite, really.

"So you've heard of my—of Nerissa, then?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

She laughed for a second before noticing the seriousness of his expression. Clearly, she had thought it was a bit of an absurd question. "Of course." Lyla replied, more subdued than before. "Everyone in our pod knew Mimmi, and knew where she was from. And Nerissa was secretly admired by most young mermaids. I mean, we all knew that she had disappeared because he had probably done something wrong." She looked at him pointedly and his stomach did an uncomfortable flip. "But everyone talked about how powerful she was, and how brave. According to the stories, she could start a storm with the blink of an eye and wasn't afraid to mingle with mermen. Most elders disapproved of such things, but it was a pretty awe-inspiring thing to hear about as a young mermaid."

Zac could not hold back a scoff. "Did the stories mention that she abandoned her son on the other side of the world?" He snapped with more bitterness than he intended. "Did they tell you that she took away his tail and made him believe he was human for sixteen years?"

Despite his best efforts, he could feel his eyes begin to prickle and he quickly looked up towards the dark sky. He hated getting so emotional when he thought about all of that.

He didn't care about Nerissa, he told himself.

He would never care about Nerissa.

She didn't deserve a second of his time or a single tear.

"Oh Zac."

He felt Lyla's gentle hand on his forearm and he resisted the urge to pull away.

Shutting down whenever anyone mentioned his past was becoming a pattern, but he did not want to waste his short time with Lyla sulking. He took a deep breath and tried to clear his mind.

"I can't imagine how rough this has been on you." She said empathetically, undeterred by his stiffened body and dark expression. "I wish I had been there to help you through it."

"I still need your help." He blurted out hurriedly.

He felt weak for admitting it but was reassured by her kind expression. She didn't seem to be judging him—she simply nodded and waited patiently for him to continue.

"I'm still…I'm still struggling with it." He admitted, eyes downcast. "All of it. I can't decide who I am—what I am. And now," he paused, his mind drifting back to yesterday's encounter. "Now Nerissa is back, claiming that Mimmi and I are destined to lead all merpeople towards unity, or some nonsense like that. And today my father showed up on my doorstep, begging me to listen to her and I…I just don't know…"

Zac trailed off. He knew that he was babbling, and Lyla was probably surprised and confused by what he was saying. She certainly looked a bit taken aback—and according to Rita, most people assumed that Nerissa was dead. The revelation that she wasn't, and that she was near the Gold Coast, would probably be surprising to most.

Lyla recovered quickly, however, and gave his arm another reassuring squeeze.

"First of all," she began resolutely. "You don't need to put yourself in a box or define yourself for anyone."

He opened his mouth to respond but she continued before he could cut in.

"You're Zac. You're _you_. Your journey has been full of surprises, and all of it has shaped who you are. Your life on land, your life at sea—all of that is part of you, and there is no need to tie yourself to one thing or another." She paused, her expression suddenly unreadable. "I know you and I know who you are to me. And you know who you are to you. That's a good start, right?"

Zac hesitated, not quite sure how to respond. Part of him wanted to ask her what she meant by her last statement. Who was he to her? A merman? A friend?

Something…more?

But he pushed those thoughts aside as quickly as possible.

He could see her larger point, and it was something he had mulled over before. Did he really have to label himself for those around him? For the world?

Why should he feel obligated to do so?

When he really thought about it, Zac realized that he _did_ know who he was, and how he felt. He was a guy who had grown up on land and was most comfortable with land customs AND he was a merman who felt an instinctual bond with the sea. He was outgoing, funny, stubborn and independent. He loved his friends, he loved his family, he loved sports and he loved exploring the ocean's depths. It was certainly a bit unusual, but it didn't really seem that difficult to come to terms with when he laid it out that simply.

Being all of those things is what made him _Zac_, even if some aspects of who he was were recent additions.

"I guess." He agreed as he finished his musings. "But it feels like Nerissa is trying to control my life. Trying to define me in a way that I'm not sure I can accept." Zac began to explain. "She says that Mimmi and I will have the power to control all inhabitants of the ocean if we're at the right place during the rise of the red moon. Apparently, we represent the unity of north and south, mermaids and mermen—and there is some sort of silly prophecy about us finally ending the war."

"And you don't want to do that?" Lyla pressed, curiously.

Zac hesitated and his tail twitched beneath the water. "I…I don't know." He admitted quietly. "I mean, of course ending centuries of tension and hostility sounds like a good thing."

Lyla nodded in agreement.

"But I hate feeling so helpless. I hate that Nerissa thinks that she can waltz back into my life after seventeen years and tell me that I have to embrace some mythical path. I just want to be me. I just want to make my own decisions!"

His voice rose as he spoke and he realized that his heart rate had also increased. It had been a very overwhelming few days, so say the least, and his mind was swimming with some many confusing thoughts and emotions.

He didn't know what he wanted. He didn't know if he trusted her, or what he would be expected to do if he agreed to her plan. He didn't know if he was strong enough to do what needed to be done.

"Hmm." He heard Lyla make a soft noise and he looked towards her, his eyes pleading for some sort of answer. It wasn't fair to expect so much from her. He knew that. But Zac felt helpless—exhausted—and he didn't know where else to turn.

"What would you do if Nerissa wasn't involved in any of this?" She asked after a thoughtful pause. "I mean, if you and Mimmi had been told about the prophecy by Rita or someone else, what would you want to do?"

Zac felt a jolt run through his body as he thought about what she had just said. That had not yet occurred to him, and he tried his best to mentally separate his issues with his mother from the apparent opportunity he and Mimmi had to bring their people together.

Of course he wanted to put an end to the fighting and the hatred one and for all. It had driven his biological family apart. It had separated him from his parents and his sister, and it meant that none of them were safe from punishment when they neared the shore. It had driven the pod—Lyla's pod—away from Mako and forced all of his closest friends to turn their backs on their home as soon as they chose to support him.

It was ridiculous.

And it needed to end.

"I'd do it." Zac stated, looking back towards his friend.

It was an important revelation, and he instantly recognized the significance of his statement.

Lyla gave him a small smile and he was struck, for a second, by how beautiful she looked in the moonlight.

"I thought so." She replied, her blue eyes alight with renewed excitement. "You shouldn't let the anger you feel towards your mother cloud your judgement. You have every right to be mad at her, and you can try to work through that if you want, but this is bigger than that. Our people have been suffering for centuries and you have the power to change things."

Zac noticed with interest that he did not flinch when Lyla used the phrase "our people"—when Mimmi, Nerissa and Jon had said the same thing, he had retorted angrily that he was "not part of their world."

And, at the time, he had meant it.

But now, sitting with Lyla on the edge of a secluded island, he felt much more at ease with the reality of his situation. There were worse things than being a merman, and he was grateful that it had brought him into contact with great people he would have never met if he stayed on land.

He didn't mind being part of Lyla's world. In fact, it felt natural.

Perhaps too natural…

"If I do this," he began slowly. "Do you think the pod will return to Mako?"

He hoped that he didn't seem too eager—he didn't want Lyla to think that he was some sort of lonely mess without her.

"I don't see why not." The mermaid replied with a smile. "If they can be convinced that there is nothing to fear then they will be happy to return."

"And you?" He asked before he could think better of it.

"Of course."

There was a brief pause as the two locked eyes. Zac felt his body tingle with unexpected energy. It seemed like there was so much more to say. So many unspoken loose ends that they had allowed to dangle when she left.

The tension that hung in the air was palpable.

But Zac knew that this wasn't the time to discuss it.

"Evie is a mermaid now, you know." He suddenly blurted out, unable to stand the silence for another second. It was probably the worst possible thing to bring up but, for some reason, he wanted her to know.

"Oh." Lyla said, her shoulders visibly slumping. He could tell that she was struggling to keep her expression neutral. "That's good for you. Right?" She asked, her voice artificially upbeat.

"For now." He replied, trying to ignore the odd tension building in his chest. He wasn't sure what had come over him and he found himself holding onto the rock ledge for support. "It was an accident. She was trying to rescue me and she came into the moon pool. Rita thinks she can return to normal if she goes back to the pool on a full moon. That didn't work for me, of course—but that's probably because I'm not actually human. Evie has a choice and she doesn't want to be…like us."

Zac could sense that Lyla was uncomfortable but, now that he had started down this path, he seemed unable to stop.

"I'm starting to feel like we're inevitably going to head in opposite directions, no matter what we do. She wants everything to be normal, and I don't think I can offer her that…I'm not even sure if I _want_ to offer her that." He paused and drew a deep breath. "And I sort of wonder if that is why I've been resisting all of the changes that I have been faced with lately. Maybe I'm trying to push everyone away so that I can fit myself into a box that will please Evie, even though that's not what I'm meant to be."

"Zac…" Lyla began, her voice hesitant. "I don't think I'm the one you should be talking to about this. I can't…I can't be…impartial."

On the surface, her words were simple—but Zac knew that they contained a much deeper meaning. And even in the dim light, he could see a slight blush on her cheeks.

She was right, of course—Lyla was the last person he should be discussing his relationship fears with. There had always been something between them and, on some level he had always known that. It was uncomfortable to acknowledge, and he had consistently done his best to sweep it under the rug, but that there was no denying that it was there.

If Evie had not been in the picture, he was pretty sure that he knew what would have happened.

"Right, I…sorry." He stuttered, trying to ignore the persistent pounding of his heart.

He was grateful for her companionship and advice and he did not want to push her away.

"It's alright, Zac." She reassured him. "I know that this is a confusing time for you and I can't blame you for wanting to talk things through. It's just—"

She trailed off and Zac instinctually looked towards her. He had been doing his best to avoid glancing in her direction and, as soon as he did, he knew that it was a bad idea. He instantly felt like a terrible person, but he was unable to deny how strongly he felt about her as his gaze rested on her form.

She was his rock.

His best friend.

He suddenly wanted nothing more than to close the small distance between them and place a kiss on her delicate pink lips.

But he knew that would be unforgivable.

Gripping the rock ledge even tighter than before, Zac willed himself to stay in place. It had probably been a terrible mistake to come here in the first place and he wasn't sure how long it would take to get the memory of her ephemeral beauty out of his mind.

He had to focus.

He had to look away.

"Zac, are you okay?"

The merman opened his mouth to respond but, before he could, an unexpected wave of fear washed over him.

The scene before him abruptly melted away and he found himself viewing the world from another's eyes.

Mimmi's eyes…

_He saw three mermaids surrounding her, sneering as they jerked her roughly through the waters. They had seized her and he looked down to see that some sort of glowing rope binding her wrists together, rendering her poweless. _

_They were hostile, they were taking her away…._

_And Mimmi was terrified. _

"Zac? Zac? What happened?" Lyla's voice snapped him back to reality and his vision quickly cleared.

He turned to her, a newfound urgency in his voice. "I had a vision." He explained, pushing himself off of the rock ledge. He knew that there was not much time to spare. "Someone attacked Mimmi, and I think they're taking her to the council."

"What!?" Lyla exclaimed, surprised by this rapid turn of events.

"I have to go after her." He stated, turning himself towards the north. Zac could feel Mimmi's distant presence, and he knew where he needed to go. "Will you come with me?"

"Of course."

That was all that he needed to hear. Without another moment of hesitation, Zac grabbed Lyla's hand and they ducked beneath the waves.

Despite the unresolved issues between them and the concern he currently felt for his sister, he was grateful to have her at his side.

Even though everything else in his life was completely messed up this, at least, felt right…

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	7. Chapter 7

Nerissa tapped her fingers nervously against the ledge of the moon pool. She and Jon had been waiting there for nearly half an hour and she was surprised that Mimmi had not yet arrived.

Granted, she had been a bit vague about the timing and had asked her daughter to arrive "near midnight"—so it was entirely possible that the girl was just taking it slow.

She had a nagging feeling, however, that was not the case. Mimmi had been anxious and excited to finally meet her father and she had expected to see her daughter eagerly waiting for them when they arrived.

Nerissa felt Jon place a gentle hand on her shoulder and he gave her a reassuring squeeze. He could clearly sense her tension, and the look on his face told him that he was also starting to get a bit worried.

"I'm sure she's on her way, love." He said, attempting to put on a brave front. But she could tell that he didn't fully believe his own words.

The mermaid let out a soft sigh and tried to refocus her thoughts on Mimmi. Usually, when she pictured someone she loved, she was able to feel their presence. But right now, it was harder than usual. She could tell that Mimmi wasn't too far, but the signal was inexplicably hazier that it had been earlier.

"I'm having a trouble sensing her." Nerissa admitted as she furrowed her brow in worry and confusion.

A wave of nausea swept through as she continued to reach out for her daughter's presence. Her gut was telling her that something bad had befallen Mimmi and she silently cursed the gods for throwing yet another obstacle in her way.

Nerissa had arrived on the coast with some much optimism—so much hope. But the events of the past twenty four hours had not exactly gone to plan. She had known that there were challenges to be overcome, of course, but she had expected joyful reunions with her children. Mimmi, at least, had been fairly receptive (if a bit reserved)—but Zac had completely shut her out. She had no idea if they would manage to get their son to listen to reason before it was too late and she had been wracked with worry and guilt ever since their encounter on the beach.

If his words were true, then he hated her. Resented her. And he wanted nothing to do with the world he had been born into.

That had filled her with a deep and painful sadness, but she had hoped that a pleasant evening with three quarters of her family might help to heal some of her wounds.

It appeared, however, that she would not be allowed to enjoy that simple pleasure either...

"I think we should go find her, before the signal fades even more." She stated, unable to mask the growing worry in her voice.

Jon looked at her, his eyes full of fatherly concern and protectiveness. It warmed her to see him take on this role so naturally, but she wished that the circumstances were different.

"Okay." He replied, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "If you think that is best."

The woman nodded. The more she dwelled on it, the more she became convinced that something was not right. Mimmi should have been there by now, and her presence should not have felt so distant.

Drawing a shaky breath, Nerissa ducked beneath the surface and made her way out of the Moon Pool, Jon following close behind.

She wasn't sure what lay ahead, but she knew that she would do anything it took to protect her little girl.

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She should have been more careful.

She had known full well that people she had once trusted were now extremely hostile towards her and yet Mimmi had foolishly allowed herself to drift close to the waters once inhabited by the pod.

There was no good reason for her to swim in that direction. She had simply been collecting seashells, somewhat aimlessly, to distract herself from her mounting anticipation.

The buzz and shock of finally seeing her mother yesterday had not worn off, and she was almost as excited to meet the father she had never known. Although she had never spoken to anyone (not even Ondina) about that aspect of her parentage, she had often day-dreamed about meeting the man that had given her life.

It had been taboo, and few ever said it out loud, but Mimmi had always known that her conception was unique. Unlike most mermaids, she had a mother _and_ a father—she hadn't been conceived using magic and (somewhat counterintuitively) that meant she was more powerful than most.

Most mermaids would have found that scary. After all, mermen were supposed to be the enemy and no one wanted to be associated with them in any way. But, secretly, Mimmi had thought that it was kind of cool. She didn't like the hostile way that people sometimes starred at her, but she did like feeling special. And, more than anything, she liked to picture having a _dad_.

Dad.

It was a word that few mermaids ever used, unless they were discussing the "strange" customs of land-people. Even Mimmi rarely said it out loud, but the thought often made her smile.

She had known that he was out there somewhere, and she had always envisioned a tall merman with dark hair and a kind smile.

According to Nerissa, her guess was not too far off. Her mother had said that Zac looked quite a bit like their father and that he had gotten his hair, eyes and build from him.

She had been brimming with excitement ever since Nerissa had told her that he was on the Gold Coast and the day seemed to drag on forever as she waited anxiously for their reunion.

In fact, Mimmi had been so distracted by the thought of it that she had allowed herself to drift back into her childhood day-dreams. She had been swimming along wistfully, her mind miles away, when the arrival of three unexpected figures had caught her completely off guard.

Night had recently fallen, and they had seemed to emerge from the ocean's dark depths with little warning.

Before she had a chance to register their faces or say a single word, she had felt something strange being clasped around her wrists and two of her attackers had grabbed her arms.

When the initial shock wore off, Mimmi realized that she had met all three of these mermaids before. They were members of the Mako pod and all had been several years above her in mermaid school.

"Mara, Gretta, Coral." She had said, looking around at the three with surprise. She didn't know any of them well, but they had never shown any aggression before. This was entirely unexpected. "What is going on? Let me go!"

She had wanted to sound brave and defiant, but Mimmi knew that her voice had betrayed her. There was an unmistakable quiver in it and her tail twitched nervously beneath the waves. She had no idea what was happening and her heart had pounded rapidly.

"We have strict orders to take to you Veridia." The red-headed one—Gretta—had explained. Her tone was cool and distant and she showed no degree of sympathy or pity for her captive.

"The ropes have been enchanted to inhibit your powers, so don't try any northern magical nonsense."

Mimmi looked down at the ropes again, full of more panic than before. They had an odd glow to them—one that could only be explained by magic—and as she had tried to telekinetically move the water in front of her, she realized that the other mermaid had not been bluffing.

She was helpless and, apparently, these mermaids were determined to drag her in front of the woman that had once tried to kill her brother.

She had to get away.

"Please. I have never done you any harm." She had pointed out, doing he best to remain composed. "I accept my exile from the pod and I just want to live my life in peace."

One of the others scoffed, clearly unconvinced by her plea. Mimmi was surprised by the amount of anger and hostility she could sense from all three—it seemed odd that these mermaids who she barely know could hold such strong feelings about her. It didn't make much sense.

"You want to live with _mermen_." The shortest one spat, her eyes flashing with disgust. "You want to protect that abomination!"

Mimmi knew exactly who she meant by "that abomination" and, if she had been able to use her powers, she was willing to bet that she would have blasted the other girl backwards in a fit of rage.

But, in her current predicament, she could only fight back with her words.

"Zac is my brother!" She exclaimed angrily, struggling unsuccessfully against the ropes that seemed to grow tighter with each passing moment. "He is not a threat to anyone and if you weren't so ignorant, then you would understand that!"

The three exchanged a look and Mimmi could tell that they were all completely unconvinced. They thought she was crazy, and nothing was going to sway them from their mission.

"Shout as much as you want, little girl." Gretta sneered, roughly dragging her forward with the help of the others. Mimmi tried to use her tail to resist but they were all larger and stronger than her—there was nothing she could do.

"Let's see if you're so cocky after Veridia is finished with that disgusting merman and your whore of a mother."

Mimmi felt another wave of anger sweep through her but the rope contained any attempt at a substantial outburst. She struggled, unsuccessfully, against their grips— her eyes flashing with a burning rage.

"You'll regret this." She hissed, wishing that she could do more than offer a verbal threat.

As scared as she was, Mimmi's warning had been full of conviction. She had been caught but, no matter how tense and confusing things were amongst her family members, she knew that they would not go down without a fight.

It was only a matter of time.

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"Do you think we're close?" Lyla asked between deep breaths of air.

She and Zac had been swimming at full speed for nearly an hour, stopping only twice to take in some air and reorient themselves.

They were both tired, but Zac was determined not to let his fatigue get to him. Mimmi was in trouble and time was of the essence.

He paused for a moment and closed his eyes, doing his best to filter out the world around him and focus on his sister's presence. It was fainter than usual, which worried him, but he was still able to sense her. If his instincts were correct, then they were indeed close—very close.

He strained his ears to see if he could hear any splashes in the inky distance.

"I think we're getting close." He informed his companion, his voice low. "Has the pod been in these waters recently?"

She shook her head. "No." She informed him, squinting in the darkness as she looked for signs of movement. "As far as I know they're a bit further west than this. Which probably means that whoever had Mimmi hasn't made it all the way back to Veridia yet."

Zac let out a short breath, somewhat relived that they would probably not be facing a grievously unfair fight. In his vision, he had seen three mermaids seize his sister. And he was fairly confident that he and Lyla could take them on. Rita had taught Lyla well, and he was more powerful than most mer-people. It would almost be a fair fight if they played their cards right.

If they could maintain the element of surprise, that would be a god start.

As he continued to look around it occurred to him that it may have been a bit foolish to go after Mimmi without reinforcements. He was fairly confidant, but he hadn't spent much time practicing his magic and he didn't really know what they were in for.

It probably would have been wise to go running to Nerissa but, despite the breakthroughs he had made during his conversation with Lyla, he wasn't sure if he would have been able to stomach that right now. Besides, if he could save Mimmi without her, maybe Nerissa would finally believe that he was his own man capable of forging his own path.

He didn't need to be her lackey to achieve greatness. She needed to know that.

"Look, there." Lyla whispered, snapping him away from his thoughts.

He turned in the direction she was pointing to see a slight ripple in the waves. It was possible that it had been caused by some sort of sea creature, but he had a feeling that was not the case.

His body was tingling with anticipation and he somehow knew that they had found their mark.

Sure enough, three female heads surfaced moments later and, even though they were at least a hundred metres away, he could tell that the dark haired one in the middle was Mimmi.

His stomach did an excited flop and he turned back towards Lyla, ready to whisper his plan. Before he had a chance, however, she spoke.

"I only see Mimmi and two captors." She pointed out worriedly. "Where is the third one?"

Zac snapped his head back towards the figures in the distance. He had been so caught up in the moment that he had not registered this very obvious and critical fact.

"We should…" But just as Zac began his reply Lyla let out a short yelp and disappeared beneath the surface. It was instantly apparent that her plunge had not been voluntary.

"Lyla!"

Recovering from his shock as quickly as possible, Zac frantically dipped below the surface just in time to see an unidentified mermaid dragging Lyla in the direction of the others. There was already a strange glowing rope around her wrists, just like the one he had seen in his vision of Mimmi.

This was bad, he realized, his heart sinking. They should have had a plan…and now, it was too late.

They had gotten her too.

Panicked, and furious, Zac darted towards the group of merpeople. His mind was racing and he wondered how he was going to mount an attack on the group without harming Lyla or Mimmi. If he started a storm, they would all be at risk. Heating or cooling the water might harm all of them as well, and he wasn't sure if he had enough control over his telekinesis to target his foes without hurting his friends.

When he resurfaced a few seconds later, he could see the third mermaid shoving Lyla into the arms of her companions who promptly tied her and Mimmi together. They two struggled against the ropes but, apparently, whatever enchantment the mermaids had put on the bindings was strong.

"Let them go!" Zac boomed, his voice much louder than he expected. The water around him surged, spurred by his anger, and he used it to raise himself several feet taller than the aggressive mermaids. In the distance, a rumble of thunder boomed ominously.

He knew that he had caused it, and he knew that he only had tenuous control…but he was too angry and afraid to care.

All he could think about was Mimmi and Lyla. These mermaids had no right to harm two of the people he cared about most and he had no intention of going down without a fight.

"If you release them, I will show you mercy."

Although he could see flashes of fear on all of their faces, the captors did not show any signs of backing down. Even as the roar of thunder grew, one of the mermaids looked up at him defiantly and raised the shell which hung around her neck to her lips. Zac wasn't sure what she was doing, but he flinched as she blew into it, letting out a piercing and surprisingly loud whistling sound.

He had no idea what she had done, but he was fairly certain that it was nothing good. The look of fear on Mimmi and Lyla's faces seemed to confirm his suspicions.

"Zac! Get out of here!" His sister shouted, her eyes full of desperation.

"She's calling for reinforcements! The pod probably won't kill us—but they're kill you without a moment's hesitation."

His brow furrowed in confusion and he looked towards the mermaid that had made the call. There was an unmistakable smirk on her face.

"I'm not leaving you guys!" He called back. The winds around him were picking up and he could feel the magic surging through his body.

He could do this.

He _had_ to do this.

He could stir up a storm and get the girls away from Veridia's lackeys before anyone else could arrive. If he focused hard enough, he could find the right balance between chaos and control.

"Zac, listen to her!" He heard Lyla yell. "Please!"

"No!"

He close his eyes for a quick second, trying to channel his anger and energy into his hands. He needed to make a precise attack and, although he had not tried this bit of magic before, he had read about it in one of Rita's books.

He hoped that would be enough.

As he looked down, he could see lightening-like energy crackling between his finger tips and he made a rapid gesture towards one of the aggressive mermaids. A blot of light shot towards her as another wave of thunder boomed.

Luckily, for her sake, she dipped beneath the waves quick enough avoid his attack.

Despite the fact that his first shot had missed, Zac felt renewed a confidence growing inside of him. He was full of so much raw power, and he only needed to use a fraction of it to set his friends free.

He had no intention of killing anyone, no matter what they had done. But if he could immobilize the three mermaids and untie Mimmi and Lyla, then they would be home free.

Before he had a chance to take a second shot, however, he felt several pairs of hands grab him from behind. Shocked by the quick arrival of more aggressors, he let out a short yelp as he was pulled beneath the wave.

The next few seconds were a frantic blur as she flailed against his attackers. He was pretty sure that he managed to magically strike one or two but, although he put up a good fight, he was simply too outnumbered.

By the time he resurfaced, gasping for air, he realized that he had been restrained. His hands were tied together, blocking his powers, and four mermaids were firmly gripping his arms.

Zac was significantly larger than them but it quickly became clear that his struggles were in vain. He writhed fiercely, but they simply gripped him tighter.

He was trapped.

As he looked around frantically he could see that dozens more mermaids had surfaced…and he quickly recognized the curly haired mermaid that had begun to approach him.

He had never done the pod leader any harm but, to her, he was still worse than the lowliest pond scum—simply because he had been born. Zac knew that she would not hesitate to punish him for that, no matter how unjust.

"You put up a good fight, merman." Veridia spat, her expression full of loathing. "But it's all over now…"

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She could not supress a satisfied smile as she slowly approached the boy.

_No, not boy_, she reminded herself—_merman._

Veridia knew that it was dangerous to think of him as anything other than that. He was the enemy, plain and simple, and she had an important job to do.

Mermaids would speak of the service she had done them for years to come. The son of Nerissa was a danger to their entire species and there was no telling what he was capable of if they allowed him to roam free.

The task ahead was unfortunate, but she had no doubt that it was necessary.

She stopped her approach mere inches from him watching, with satisfaction as he struggled to free himself from his captors. As powerful as he was, she knew that their ropes would keep him contained and Veridia gave him a smug smirk.

Mimmi and Lyla were shouting at her in the distance but she pushed it out of her mind. She would deal with them later—and, perhaps, if they showed some remorse, she would offer them clemency.

"Your reign of terror ends here." She hissed, enjoying the way he starred back at her with fear.

This was how it was meant to be.

Mermen cowering before their superiors.

Finally acknowledging who had the true power.

She raised her hand, preparing to strike the vile creature with the largest surge of magic she could muster. She may not have been as powerful as Nerissa, or even Rita, but Veridia could hold her own and she knew what she was capable of.

As leader of the pod, it was her responsibility to do what was right.

And she was more than willing to carry out this grim task.

"Any final words?" The mermaid asked, commending herself for offering him a mercy he did not deserve.

The merman began to open his mouth but, before he could offer his response, another voice cut in.

It was a female voice.

A voice Veridia had only heard once before.

_Nerissa…_

"VERIDIA, STOP!"

Before she could fully register what was happening, Veridia felt a wave of energy blast her backwards.

The world around her descended into chaos.

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A/N—On a roll today. I hope people enjoyed this- please let me know :)

Izi Wilson—thanks for all of the kind reviews.

Fictionlover—thanks for all of your comments!


	8. Chapter 8

"VERIDIA, STOP!"

Nerissa had just finished one of the most frantic swims of her life. The further her and Jon had gone from Mako, the more she had been able to sense their children—and the more she had been filled with worry. She had known that something was wrong and, as soon as they had surfaced, her fears had been confirmed.

Several members of the Mako pod had gathered, their faces etched with hatred and anger. Mimmi was being held captive, her wrists restrained by some sort of odd, glowing rope. And, even worse, Veridia was approaching Zac with a menacing look on her face.

To make the scene more ominous, dark clouds were swirling overhead, their strange formation indicating that they had not arrived naturally. Nerissa could almost feel the magic emanating off of them. And off of Zac. She had no doubt that he had put up a good fight.

Apparently, however, it had not been enough.

Her children were horribly outnumbered, and the danger was very clear.

She knew what she needed to do.

Without hesitation, Nerissa raised her hand and sent a blast of energy at the pod leader. She knew that the vile woman was intent on killing her son, simply because he was a merman, and she knew that she was the most imminent threat.

As the magic made contact, Veridia was blasted backwards—not dead, but temporarily incapacitated.

Unfortunately, this assault on the leader sent a wave of fury through her supporters, and those that were not currently focused on retraining her children sprang into action.

After casting a quick glance at Jon, Nerissa ducked back beneath the wave, successfully dodging any magical or physical attacks that the other mermaids intended. There was only one way to put an end to this without causing massive destruction, and it was something that she could not do alone.

Since Zac was closest, she darted towards him first, Jon close behind.

Seconds later, she surfaced beside her son, quickly sending the three mermaids that were holding him back with another well-aimed blast.

He looked stunned but, thankfully, the anger she had seen on his face at their last meeting was no longer present. He was probably still upset about the entire situation but he at least had the sense to know that some things were more pressing. They had to get away from here before anything else could be worked out.

"Quickly." Nerissa said, glancing over her shoulder as another flock of angry mermaids drew closer. "We need to get your sister.

Zac nodded.

Jon, who had pulled the magical rope from their son's wrists while she had been thwarting his captors, gabbed both of their hands and helped propel them all forward at maximum speed.

While Nerissa was undoubtedly the more powerful of the two, her former lover's speed and strength had always been a marvel to her. He was the picture of raw merman power, and she was grateful to have him at her side.

She hoped that he would always be at her side.

As they approached Mimmi, Zac managed to blast away two of her assailants while Nerissa dealt with the third. She had expected him to turn back towards her as soon as he had finished but, before he did, he sent another wave of magical energy towards two other mermaids who had been restraining a third.

In her panic, Nerissa had not taken note of the blonde girl before that moment. There was no time to ask about her now, but the fact that she too had been attacked seemed to indicate that she was on their side.

"Zac, tell your friend to get behind me." She said quickly, knowing that time was of the essence. The rest of the mermaids had been trailing them all, and some were getting close. Even though they were more powerful, they were still terribly outnumbered and, apparently, they could be incapacitated by those strange ropes. "Jon, you too."

As soon as the two followed her command, she grabbed hold of Zac and Mimmi's hands. She was about to attempt something she had not done before, and she knew that she would be stronger if their magic pooled with hers.

"Keep your eyes forward." Nerissa stated, holding her children firmly. "Picture everyone freezing in place and push your hands forward when I do."

They both gave a quick nod and she then turned to focus on the task at hand. The mermaids were closing in.

And they were angry.

Vengeful.

She felt the magical energy flowing between them and, just as that power seemed to surge, she raised their hand out of the water.

A blast of blue energy instantly sprung forth and the world around them seemed to stop.

She knew that it was only temporary, but the plan had been a success. Their attackers were frozen in place—completely incapacitated and yet totally unharmed.

Nerissa could see the surprised looks on Zac and Mimmi's faces and she allowed herself to revel in this blissful moment of silence. As bizarre and nerve-racking as this had been, it felt good to work together with them. To connect with them in a way that she could not connect with anyone else. She hoped that they had felt the bond too.

Perhaps it would make things easier.

"We don't have that much time." She said, finally letting go of their hands as she turned to face the others. Both Jon and the mystery girl looked amazed, and relieved. "Let's get back to shore as quickly as possible."

Knowing that she was right, and that they were not safe yet, the others nodded in agreement and they hurriedly ducked beneath the waves.

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They were on the beach at Mako.

Perhaps it wasn't the safest place to be at the moment but, if the mermaids did dare to approach after they regained their mobility, then at least they could quickly retreat onto the land. Most of the pod hated the idea of taking on human form, no matter what the circumstances, and they would probably manage to make another escape.

At the very least, it was a good spot to rest and regroup before they decided what to do next.

After so much frantic swimming and so much exhilaration, they were all exhausted and they had not had the strength to make it any further.

Zac, who was currently sitting in patch of sand, stretched out his legs in front of him. His muscles ached and he found himself wishing for the softness of his bed. Unfortunately, he knew that he could not go home quite yet. In fact, he wasn't sure if it was safe to go home at all. Veridia knew where he lived—Lyla had informed him of that. She might take her opportunity to attack him again when he was alone.

Like it or not, they needed a game plan—and all of their lives were on the line.

"I'm not sure if anywhere is completely safe at the moment." He heard Nerissa say, responding to a question Mimmi had asked.

Both she and Mimmi were a few feet away, their tails still in contact with the lapping waves. Unlike Zac, they hadn't bothered to transform, preferring to stay in their natural form as much as possible. Personally, he was thankful to have his legs back, at least for a few minutes. And he had noted with interest that Jon had come further onto the shore to dry out as well.

Zac hadn't commented on it, but he wondered if this was how his father felt most comfortable as well.

Since she did not yet know the rest of his family (aside from a few conversations with Mimmi back when they had both lived with the pod), Lyla had decided to transform as well and was currently sitting at his side, her legs crossed. Although he once again felt guilty, Zac was grateful that she was there to offer support—she understood him better than anyone and she instantly made him feel stronger.

He felt like he could handle almost anything, now.

Even this.

"They'll probably check the moon pool first, after they regroup." The oldest mermaid continued with a sigh. "Then Mako Island, Zac's house, and probably Rita's."

"We should warn Rita." Lyla cut in, exchanging a worried glance with Zac. They both cared greatly for their mermaid teacher, and neither wanted to see her (or the other girls) caught up in this non-sense.

Nerissa nodded. "They won't hurt Zac's parents, because that would risk exposure—and the only thing they hate more than mermen is exposure."

Zac rolled his eyes, unable to suppress his annoyance with mermaid culture. As he had said a million times that week—their laws were silly and narrow minded.

Lyla was right—and, even though he had not admitted it to Nerissa or Jon yet, he knew that he was coming to see their points. If his family issues were pushed aside and his anger at the situation was repressed, he knew that using the power he had to change the poisonous laws of the sea was the right thing to do. This was ridiculous and they didn't deserve to be on the run. He and Mimmi had not done anything wrong—they had simply been born and were living their lives. And, when he really thought about it, he realized that Nerissa and Jon had not done anything wrong either.

They had simply fallen in love and started a family…which they had been forced to give up for reasons beyond their control.

The thought of his abandonment, and all of the lies, still filled him with anger and resentment. But he was starting to feel a flicker of forgiveness as well.

Again, he had Lyla to thank for that.

She had been his lifeline and she had shown that she was willing to risk everything to fight for what was right. To fight for him…

"Yes, we'll warn Rita." Nerissa continued with a nod towards the blonde. Perhaps Zac was imagining it but, during their brief acquaintance, it seemed that his mother was quite taken with the young mermaid. When he had introduced her, she'd smiled knowingly and given Lyla a surprisingly warm hug, as if welcoming her to the family.

It had been…odd. And Zac wasn't quite sure what to think.

Did she sense something that he did not?

Could she tell that he…

He shook his head and forced himself to focus on more pressing matters. He could sort his feelings out later—right now, they needed to figure out what to do.

"And then we should go to Sydney and wait for the red moon." Jon piped in, looking towards Nerissa.

Her eyes opened in understanding and he continued.

"They know where Zac lives and, of course, they know about Mako—but they still don't know who I am, or when I live. My house is big enough for all of us, and we can be relatively safe there until it is time to activate the chambers and bring an end to this thing once and for all."

Zac looked over to see a look of excitement flash across Mimmi's face. She had only just met their father a couple of hours ago but he could tell that she had already grown fond of him during their brief chat. She probably loved the idea of staying at her father's house—their father's house—for a couple of weeks.

Like a _real_ family.

While Zac had to admit that Jon was a likable guy, he was instantly less enthused by the situation. He could feel a bundle of nerves forming in his stomach and he looked between Nerissa and Jon with wide eyes.

Even just sitting here on the beach, with them, was an incredibly bizarre situation. This was the first time in his life that all four members of his biological family had been together and, even in his exhausted state, he had been struck by the significance of this moment. He certainly didn't feel regret—as he had said many times, he would not have traded his life with the Blakely's for anything—but it did feel different than anything he had experienced. It was odd, and unnerving, to look around to see three faces which, in various ways, resembled his own.

"That's a wonderful idea, darling." He heard Nerissa say, her tail twitching with excitement as if she was suddenly reinvigorated.

Zac tried to ignore his building nausea. He had to admit that it was a good idea, but it didn't make the thought of hiding away with _them_ any easier. He wanted to set things right, now…but he hadn't wanted to get drawn in so deeply.

He didn't want to have to pretend to be a big happy family, even for a couple of weeks.

That simply wasn't his life.

"I can't." He cut in before drawing a sharp breath. "I have school. A life. And I can't just leave for two weeks— besides, what am I going to tell my parents?"

It looked like Nerissa was about to respond, but Mimmi cut in first. "We'll have Rita call them and tell them that you're on a school trip. She can say that it was a really great last minute opportunity to study dolphins or something, and that you had to leave first thing in the morning."

Zac scowled. It was a fairly lame story, but he knew that it would probably work (barely) if Rita was the one to tell them why he was gone. They trusted her. He would be in a bit of trouble for leaving without warning when he got back but, he realized, if this was the only way to achieve what needed to be done, then it was probably for the best.

He hated the thought of it. All of it.

But passing up the opportunity to change the ocean for the better was probably worse.

He felt Lyla give his hand a reassuring pat and he let out a soft sigh.

"Fine." He muttered, looking up towards the night sky.

He felt weak for not putting up more of a fight but, deep down, he knew that this was right. He had to swallow his pride.

It would all be over in a few short weeks and he wouldn't have to see them again after that if he didn't want to. He could go back to his old life.

"Great." Nerissa said with a clap of her hands. She looked back towards the dark waters. "I know we're all exhausted, but we should get there as soon as we can. We can sleep all day tomorrow, once we're safe."

Zac gave his legs a final stretched before reluctantly standing up. Once again, she was right—the beach was not secure, and it would be foolish to rest until they were locked away at Jon's, far from prying mermaid eyes.

"I can stay here and—"

"No!"

Lyla had begun to speak, but Zac quickly cut her off. He knew that she was trying to stay back, and the thought filled him with panic. He needed her there, now more than ever. And he hated the thought of her staying out here alone and unprotected. She was associated with them now, and he was willing to bet that the pod would be happy to use her as leverage.

"You need to come with us." Zac proclaimed, looking towards Jon for a nod of approval. "It isn't safe here."

"Agreed." Nerissa piped in, looking back and forth between her son and the young mermaid with a slight smile. Zac did his best to ignore it.

"Alright then, let's get moving." Jon said as he made his way towards the shore and stepped in. "Rita's first. Then I'll lead the way to Sydney harbour."

Nerissa dove in seconds later and, after shooting him a thankful smile, Lyla followed close behind.

Only Zac and Mimmi were left on the beach now and as he approached the water his sister looked up at him with cautious optimism. Wordlessly, Zac sat down beside her and allowed the waves to tickle his feet.

He noticed Mimmi smile as his tail appeared and he could tell that there was something she wanted to say.

"What?" He asked, trying to make his voice sound as gentle as possible. Part of him was annoyed by her gaze but, after almost losing her today, he was grateful to have here there, safe and sound. He cared about her deeply, he always had—and he felt a little guilty for some of what he had said during their last encounter.

"Thanks for coming to save me tonight." Mimmi said, inching towards him and pulling him into a quick hug.

He snorted. "I failed pretty miserably, though." He noted, ashamed that he had gone in without a plan and had been caught off guard. "Nerissa saved the day, not me."

Mimmi shrugged as she pulled back. "You were still spectacular, though. And…" she paused, drawing a deep breath. "As terrible and scary as it was, it was nice to know that you still care. Even if you're mad at me."

Zac furrowed his brow. "I'm not mad at you." He interjected quickly. "I'm just still sorting through a few things in my head, and I'm struggling to deal with having Nerissa and Jon around…with having this big destiny that I can't control. And sometimes those emotions can burst out in unexpected ways." He paused. "You're my sister, and I love you—okay?"

A huge smile broke out on her face and Zac found it hard to supress one of his own. Despite everything that had happened, he could not regret having such a kind, sweet and caring sister. No matter that he sometimes said or did.

"Okay." She replied cheerfully as she began to push herself further into the water. Zac soon followed suit, trying to ignore how hard it was to push his useless body across the wet sand. In the water, having a tail was a huge asset—but on land, it was a burden.

Thankfully, a fresh surge of water sped up their journey and the siblings soon made it to a comfortable depth. It was a relief to be able to stretch his tired tail properly and he began to ready himself for the journey ahead.

Zac was about to duck below the waves and head towards Rita's but the expression on Mimmi's face made him hesitate yet again. She was still staring at him, her smile now twisted into a playful smirk.

"What?" He asked again, this time letting out an exasperated sigh.

"On, nothing, just…" she trailed off and gave him a small wink. "I was just thinking that Lyla is nice. That's all."

Zac instantly felt his cheeks flush and he hoped that it was too dark for her to see his reaction.

"Yeah, she's nice." He replied, trying to sound nonchalant. "So?"

In retrospect, he realized that he probably shouldn't have prompted her. He could tell from her tone where she was going with this—but he was too tired to really think it through.

"Sooooo." She began with a hint of playfulness. "Maybe that whole thing about having little mer-babies isn't so bad after all."

Zac felt himself blush again and he splashed her as a distraction. She could be so infuriating sometimes, and she knew how to push his buttons.

"We are totally not talking about this now." He retorted, sending her his best glare.

She merely chuckled, and he shook his head.

"Come on, let's catch up." Zac said, turning his gaze towards Rita's. In truth, a bit of sibling teasing was a nice distraction from the terrible night that had had, and he didn't really blame her for focusing on the lighter things in life. But he couldn't think about any of that now—there was still Evie to consider, and he didn't know what he was going to do about any of it.

Instead, he tried to clear his mind, focusing instead on the prospect of a warm bed and a good night's sleep.

"Let's get this over with."

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	9. Chapter 9

_A/N—Not the most eventful chapter, but I want a few scenes that explore the family dynamic before we get back to the main plot. Hope it is okay. I've seen the rest of season two now, of course…so this is officially AU (especially when it comes to the chamber)—but hopefully it is still enjoyable. _

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Jon walked down the hallway of his modest beachside home, doing his best to keep his footsteps soft on the cool tile floor.

He had just awoken after a long sleep to find his bed empty—it was something he should have been used to but, after falling asleep with his arm around Nerissa, he had hoped to still find her there when he awoke. Apparently, however, she had risen before him and he was eager to find her for a few moments of solitude before the day began.

They had talked a bit last night before drifting to sleep, of course—but they had been so utterly exhausted that they had not managed to have much of a conversation. They had probably swum for a total of six hours yesterday, mostly at top speed, and thwarting off the attacks of the pod had been draining as well.

Not to mention the emotional toll the day had taken.

On some level, it had almost felt like a dream and if it had not been for the sight of Nerissa's moon ring on his nightstand when he awoke, Jon might have assumed he had fantasized the whole thing.

He had been reunited with his love.

He had finally met his son and daughter.

Jon had been yearning for all of those things for so long and the thought of the reunion filled him with immense joy.

Sure, he had always hoped that this would happen under better circumstances, and his son had not been forthcoming…but, despite the danger and chaos, he was still happy this moment had come.

He had been alone for so long, now—and he had more or less reconciled himself to the fact that that was how it was meant to be. After all, most mermen spent their lives alone. They couldn't mate with mermaids, and it was hard to form a meaningful relationship with a land-woman without telling her the truth (which could get one killed). It was a sad conundrum, but one that he had come to terms with.

Now, however, everything was different.

For the first time in years, Jon was full of hope.

As he turned the corner the merman caught sight of a second figure. She was standing near a half open doorway, her silky black hair cascading down her back. The floor creaked a tiny bit as he approached and she turned towards him with a soft smile on her face.

He smiled back before he silently took his hand and drew him to her side. Jon, who was significantly taller and broader than her, smiled as she nestled her head against his firm chest. Even though there was a pod of angry mermaids out there who wanted them all dead, _this_ moment felt right.

It all seemed worth it.

"They're beautiful, aren't they?" She whispered, gazing through the partially open door. Jon followed the direction of her eyes to see what she had been quietly observing. There, in one of his spare bedrooms, lay Mimmi and Zac—both still in a deep sleep.

They too had been exhausted last night and had collapsed into the two twin beds without much protest or question. It had been clear that Zac was uncomfortable with the entire situation, but Jon was glad he had agreed anyway—it would be difficult for him but, Jon hoped, the boy would take this opportunity to open himself up to his new family.

They would never replace the Blakely's.

He understood that.

But perhaps Zac could make room for both of his families one day.

Now, as he watched his sleeping children for the first time, all of his worries and tensions temporarily seemed to melt away.

Nerissa was right.

They were beautiful.

And he was happy to revel in this moment.

"Yes, they are." He replied softly, placing a kiss atop her head. "Our babies."

She let out a sad chuckle and gave his hand a light squeeze. "They're hardly babies anymore." She replied, her tone laced with regret. "We missed so much."

Jon nodded, his eyes still locked on the two sleeping forms. Nerissa was right, of course. They were seventeen now—far past infancy and nearly into adulthood. Mimmi, whose dark hair was sprawled out dramatically on her while pillow, was a beautiful young woman with features that very much reminded him of her mother. Zac, meanwhile, was the spitting image of himself—tall and fit and strong. Practically a man.

It was hard not to be filled with pride as he observed them. In his eyes, they were perfect—and, even if he had been deprived of the chance to raise them, he had helped bring them into this world.

He would always be their father, no matter what.

Mimmi let out a small groan and Nerissa reluctantly let go of his hand. "Let's go." She mouthed silently looking down the hallway towards the kitchen.

He nodded. In truth, he could have stayed there all day, simply taking everything in. But he didn't want to disturb them and he knew that they needed to rest after their ordeal.

As quietly as possible, he followed Nerissa into the kitchen.

Perhaps danger was on the horizon, and the circumstances were not ideal—but Jon would always be grateful for the chance to finally spend time with the only family he had ever known.

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Mimmi was grinning from ear to ear.

It was amazing how many rapid turns her life had taken in the last few days—she had been reunited with her mother, met her father for the first time, been captured by the pod, and made a daring escape with her newly united family.

And now, she had the chance to stay with all of them for a couple of weeks. There was no doubt about it—despite the situation and the challenges ahead, Mimmi was thrilled.

After a restful sleep, she had bounced into the dining room to find her parents chatting at the table (her_ parents_…the mere thought made her heart leap). They had welcomed her warmly and her dad (her _dad_!) had brought her a delicious plate of fresh prawns for breakfast and she had devoured them eagerly, starving from the excitement of the previous day. Basic needs satisfied, she had then happily joined their conversation and was glad to answer their questions about her life with the pod, and her relatively recent reunion with her brother.

She felt a little silly for smiling so much through all of it (after all, many parts of her story were not happy)—but Mimmi was a naturally optimistic person, and she had been waiting for a moment like this her entire life.

She had always yearned for a family.

Somewhere to belong.

Finding Zac had been wonderful, and finding out that her parents were still very much alive was just as fantastic. She had spent so many years being the 'weird northern mermaid' in the Mako pod and it felt amazing to finally fit in.

This was her real pod, she had realized.

This was where she was meant to be.

"I can't believe how foolish we were back then." Mimmi said. She was recounting the story of her initial venture onto land with Ondina and her parents were listening with interest. "We thought Zac was a land boy, of course, and I tried making a power stripping potion to turn him human again during the full moon. You know, the one with the power of fifty moons." She noted, nodding towards her mother.

Nerissa nodded back, smiling, and the girl continued.

"So obviously it didn't work, and he was pretty mad at us for a while." She paused, remembering that era of confusion. It seemed like ages ago now, even though it wasn't. In her mind, it was so clear that Zac was her brother that it was hard to recall a time when that would have been unthinkable. "I thought I messed up the potion at the time." Mimmi continued. "I was kinda relieved when I figured out why we couldn't change Zac back. I'm pretty sure I _did_ remember all of the ingredients."

Her father chuckled before popping a leftover prawn into his mouth and her mother turned towards her with pride in her eyes. "So, you remember some of the potions I told you about when you were little?" She asked hopefully.

Mimmi grinned. "Yes." She replied, happy to see her mother look so pleased. "I used to recite them to myself before I went to sleep." The girl paused, hesitant to finish her thought. "I thought that was all I had left of you, so I didn't want to forget them."

Mimmi watched her mother's smile quickly fade and she felt a pang of guilt for mentioning the touchy subject. She had wanted to keep the breakfast conversation light and didn't want her mom to feel bad about doing what she had to do—but the truth was, it had been hard on Mimmi, especially during the first few years. At the time, she had been too young to understand why she had been left behind and she had struggled to fit in with strange new people in a strange new environment. When she was alone at night, without the comfort of a mother or siblings to cling on to, she had done her best to hold onto the few memories she did have of a happier time.

"Oh, sweetheart…" she heard Nerissa begin softly. The woman put a gentle hand on her shoulder and Mimmi suspected that she would have said more if it had not been for the arrival of a fourth figure in the room.

"Morning."

Zac's greeting was quiet and mumbled and, as she looked towards her brother, Mimmi could tell instantly that he was still not pleased about the current situation.

She could feel her mother tense and she watched as both of her parents exchanged a look.

"Good morning, Zac." Jon replied, smiling up at his son. "Can I fetch you from prawns for breakfast? Mimmi says they're your favourite. Which isn't surprising, of course."

The teenager let out a small grunt before shaking his head and running a hand through his tousled hair.

He looked uncomfortable, and mildly annoyed.

"No thanks." He replied, shooting her a look she couldn't quite interpret.

Did he not want their parents to know anything about him, she mused, a bit confused by his strange reaction. Did he expect them to spend the next two weeks in silence and not even discuss their favourite foods? That seemed a bit ridiculous, in her opinion.

But then again, her brother could be a bit ridiculous sometimes…

"I'll just have some toast and jelly, if you have some."

Jon nodded wordlessly before getting up from his spot and heading towards a nearby cabinet.

As her father began to prepare Zac's (strange) breakfast, Mimmi attempted to start a light conversation.

"Did you sleep alright?" She asked, trying to keep her voice chipper. "That was the first time I've ever tried a land bed." She noted, glancing towards her mother. "But I thought it was pretty comfortable."

The girl turned back towards her brother to see that he had now folded his arms across his chest and was leaning against the door frame, as if he was reluctant to fully enter the room. Clearly, he was not in the mood for small talk—or much of anything, for that matter.

She hated how frustratingly stubborn he could be at times.

"The bed was fine." He said, his voice flat. "I'd rather be home, though."

There was a pregnant pause before Nerissa spoke.

"Of course, sweetheart." She replied sympathetically. "And if all goes to plan you can go home soon."

In response, Zac merely snorted and rolled his eyes.

Mimmi resisted sudden urge to snap at him for being so petulant—sure, the situation wasn't ideal, especially for him. But they were here for now, and they were safe. Plus, they finally had the opportunity to get to know their biological parents. She could understand why he felt an allegiance to the Blakely's, but was spending two weeks away from home really such a terrible thing?

Couldn't he make the best of it?

His ongoing resistance felt like a bit of a personal insult—after all, she was part of the family he was attempting to remain aloof from.

But, admittedly, she didn't know what it was like to be torn between two worlds, so she forced herself to be patient.

Perhaps he just needed a bit more time to warm up to the situation.

In her opinion, it was only a matter of time before he would put his old prejudices aside and realize that their parents weren't all that bad.

They both loved him deeply— she could see that already—and she was willing to bet that he would see it soon as well. He would have to be blind not to.

"Dad says he is going to go into town later to run a few errands." Mimmi said quickly, trying to change the subject. She hadn't meant to use the word 'dad,' but a small smile crossed her lips when she realized that it had slipped out. As she thought about it, she realized that it was already weird to think of him as anything else—even though she had only known him for a few short hours. The bond between her and her father had been instant, and she was thrilled to have him in her life.

"Do you want to come with us?" She continued, hopeful that he would be keen to get out of the house for a few hours. Besides, it was clear that he liked Nerissa least of all and she was guessing that he wouldn't want to be left alone at Jon's with her. "It's a great chance to see more of Sydney."

Zac's eyes narrowed and she could instantly tell that he was not keen on her suggestion.

"_My dad_ used to take me to Sydney all the time." He replied, emphasising the first two words. Mimmi could see a hint of disappointment on Jon's face as he turned around with the plate of toast in hand but he did not question Zac's words. "I'll pass."

There was another pause before he spoke again.

"Thanks for the toast." He said with forced politeness before reaching out for the plate their father had prepared. Mimmi thought the meal looked rather plain and unappetizing, and she watched her brother make a look of distaste as he took a bite.

Clearly, he didn't like it much either and, seconds later, she caught him eying the prawns on the table longingly.

Mimmi wasn't exactly sure why he insisted on playing these games.

Zac was a fully-fledged merman, plain and simple.

He craved seafood.

He yearned for the sea.

And, if yesterday's interactions were any indication, he was in love with a natural-born mermaid.

All of his instincts and desires pointed in one direction…and yet, he was still trying to pretend that he was first and foremost a land-boy.

She found the act entirely unconvincing but, she supposed, she simply had to wait for him to come to terms with things on his own time. Forcing him to confront it only led to anger and resistance, as she had already learned the hard way.

"Well, see you later." Zac said curtly as he turned back towards the hallway, plate in hand.

Apparently he had no intention of joining them at the breakfast table and Mimmi let out a sigh and as she saw looks of disappointment cross both of her parents' faces.

As Zac disappeared from view her father walked back across the room and placed a comforting hand on Nerissa's shoulder.

"I wish there was something we could do to make him feel comfortable. To make him open up." The woman said, her eyes downcast.

Mimmi could tell that all of this was hardest on her—Nerissa was the one who was most wracked with guilt and she desperately wanted to hold both of her children in her arms again. Their mother had waited seventeen years for that moment and, although they had finally been reunited, Zac was making it difficult to see this as the joyful occasion that it was.

Whenever he was around, the room was instantly filled with tension.

"He'll come around." Mimmi stated with more determination than she currently felt. She wanted to believe her own words, and she wanted her parents to believe them too.

With a soft sigh, her mother reached out and pulled her into a tight hug as her father placed a gentle kiss atop her dark hair.

It was the sort of moment she had always dreamt of and it would have been absolutely perfect if her brother had been at her side.

But, despite her lingering sadness, Mimmi allowed herself to smile. Perhaps one day, in the not too distant future, Zac would be there too,

He just needed someone to talk some sense into him, once and for all.

And maybe, Mimmi mused with a grin, Lyla would be up for the task…

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End file.
